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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

You're right...I eventually was able to do it...

Posted By: UTMT on 2006-11-19
In Reply to: Speedtype is also the exact same program as Shorthand, but Speedtype is a lot more expensive. - sm

after reading a thread on Productivity Talk.   'She' wouldn't even really talk to me about it..."just send the $25."  I felt she could have at least been a bit more helpful, but she really wasn't at all.  The conversion instructions didn't work when I followed them.  That as over 3 years ago.  Maybe they are better now, but I just don't care for how SpeedType works.  Period.  I would resell it to someone, but I don't think they would thank me. 


 




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What goes around DOES eventually - sm
come around, and I think we MT's need to help it a bit more then we have been in the past. Regardless of who wins this year's election, and who our elected officials are next year, WE need to start lobbying and pushing for reform in a messed-up healthcare system that allows patient reports to be sent out of the United States. And we need to push for a change from the current policy of REWARDING hospitals, MTSO's, insurance companies, etc. for offshoring what should be strictly AMERICAN work.

They say "the pen is mightier than the sword", and who better to write letters and emails, newspaper editorials, blogs, letters to the editors of newspapers, etc. than MTs, who have a superior command of the written word, and who know firsthand what's really going on in the medical world, and how it hurts us, and ALL American patients.
What I see makes me think US MT will eventually
sda
Eventually the India MTs will not need

I think eventually all companies will be doing
almost 100% VR and we will definitely be taken advantage of then, getting paid 3 cpl. I will not work for that and that's why I want out of transcription ASAP!
Why is this being allowed to happen, isn't it eventually
If American workers are forced out of their jobs so foreigners can work for cheap, making the owners of these companies richer, what happens to consumption?  The avg American is too poor to consume much, driving other American businesses into the ground.  Soon it will be a monopoly, there will be no middle class, just poverty and the filthy rich making money off foreigners.
Hey, it's called CAPITALISM....Something will eventually run WM out too.

THere was a uproar years ago when supermarkets came into being, then the department stores... Who the heck shops in Mom N' Pop stores anymore?  And who can afford the inflated prices.  Capitalism is the best system, no matter how much you don't like it.


I notice that too. QA will eventually catch up to them.
dd
Look at it this way, he will probably need it for more than 1 class eventually; or my daughter
needed Word which at the time I did not have, so our alternative was for her to stay after school and use their computers as I could not afford the program then.
don't laugh: it WILL be called that eventually s/m
and if not, it's not like everyone wouldn't know the difference.  Scary!
Eventually, VR will be the industry standard.
The way I see it, the options are:
A. Learn it now; find a platform and a company where you can make decent money.
B. Keep job hopping for the next few years as straight transcription is phased out bit by bit, company by company.
C. Find another profession.

Eventually, the straight transcription will only be available when creating speech models for new dictators.
Bleach works but disintegrates it eventually.
dd
Also, any action you eventually may take will have to happen in her state - not yours. nm
x
I started MT to gain skills to eventually work....sm

outside my home. I was working another small business from home too and had been home for 13 years total. My MT skills got me a job as a secretary for the Army. My first position didn't pay a lot, but it was still about $3.50 more an hour than I could find anywhere else locally. In August 2006, with promotions etc., I will have had total increases in salary of 45% in two years. My next move is to start taking some college courses (which my employer will pay for) and applying for positions with a more defined career field. Having a hard time figuring out which field, as I have a lot of options/opportunity.


Working from home served a huge purpose, but since DH is also self-employed, my current job adds a lot of security to our family in terms of health/life insurance, retirement, paid vacations, etc. I added up the cost of all my paid benefits vs. paying out of pocket as an independent contractor, and they were worth another 35 - 40% of my salary, which will increase once I start taking college classes.


If you are not looking in the medical field, gear your resume towards your other skills. MTs have a myriad of skills (research, computer, organizational, listening, following instructions, bookkeeping). If you are an independent contractor, you are more than an MT, you are a small business owner, which puts a host of additional skills on your plate. Get creative and look at some on-line resumes in different fields, you will probably be surprised how many skills you have. 


When I decided to look for a job, I researched all the highest paying companies/opportunities within the distance I was willing to travel and only applied to those companies. It took about a year and a few interviews, but I eventually got exactly what I was looking for. I still get calls from some of the places I interviewed/applied offering jobs.  


My goal is to eventually add commentary and humor/satire/etc...sm
I'm not talented in all those areas and hope to attract other MTs who are. There's no money in it at this point, unfortunately.

Jay
That's a Shame, Becka, I hope you can eventually collect your pay! (EOM)
.
it does get easier and eventually things make sense to you even when you can't understand -
I was doing a Irish doctor, I could understand the medical terms pretty well, it was the easier, more normal words, I had trouble with.  Because of the lilting and very fast way he said it "three arteries and a vein" nearly drove me insane. 
For Pete's sake, you're not terminating a pregnancy, you're just typing a report after the
It's already been done before you even hear about it, and NOTHING changes regardless of whether you or someone else types it. Sheesh.
It's not funny when you're on a board where language is one skill you're selling.
.
Hope you're gonna have a glass of wine while you're relaxing

in your spa goodies. Congrats!


Well, you're all complaining that accounts are current and work is low, so, gee, maybe they're
focusing on WORK, as in CLIENT and transcribing, as maybe half of you should be focusing on!!
If you're experienced, try for 9cpl or higher, and you're lucky to get that! nm
s
Skip it. No one cares. Either you're good on the test or you're not.
x
You're probably right. Plus we're losing our percentage of good people by .... (sm)
allowing every loser from every 3rd world country on the planet to just stroll on into our country, some legally, most illegally, and take advantage of the social services all us hard working little gerbils pay for by having money taken out of our pay every month. But I don't think we're all lazy. Just the ones on permanent welfare driving around town in brand-new Cadillac Escalades. Saw one just today on the Bayshore Fwy. Brand-new black Escalade with expensive spinner wheels, with 5 or 6 Mexicans in it. Well, who knows - maybe they stole it and it was on its way to a chop-shop. Smart-and-hungry people aren't always hard-working and honest.
You're not going to find a word expander for free. You're going to have to pay
g
You're forgetting all the stuff you can't buy when you're UNEMPLOYED!
Unemployed people have a hard time buying anything, including cheaply made offshore products. How many will have to end up depending on public assistance? That means more tax dollars being eaten up - besides the taxes NOT being collected from the overseas workers. In the long run, are you really enjoying a lower price?
If you're on the job, ask for samples to do it how they want it. If you're testing, separate o
s
You're not losing it, you're burned out on your main job.
I feel for you... I am having my own "version" ;-) of these kinds of struggles. Lots of recent changes at the admin level have made my job do a 180, going from a really great one to a really crappy one.

For me, it's a struggle to get through the day with a shred of motivation. I get distracted in the way you discuss as well.

I just try to make my environment as comfortable as possible and make the best of it while I decide what the best way is to deal with the burnout... I figure if I can't change my inner brain workings so that I still like this job, I need to find another one, or this feeling will possibly get worse!

I hope it works out for you. Wish I had some better advice for you, but this really does look like burnout and extreme job dissatisfaction to me. We all wear it differently. Try to be good to yourself while you figure out a solution.


Don't know what you're complaint you're making with this post. sm

You stated in your original post that you don't want to work weekends or odd shifts. What is your definition of an odd shift?  Second shift?  Third shift?  Sounds like you want to work M-F on days.  Sounds kind of rigid to me. 


Personally I like second shift, so everyone working days means more work for me! 


You're not under a rock, you're just like me... an adult with more to
s
It's not because you're beautiful, it's because you're an IDIOT!
Does that make it any clearer for you??
YOU'RE A SACK OF CRAP!! YOU'RE NOT

THE ADMINISTRATOR.  WHAT DO YOU THINK WE ARE IDIOTS??? 


 


                  


Honey you're not being a shrew, you're being a
I don't get it when husbands and wives *allow* the other to have money that THEY work for...just don't get it.  Go buy the flippin' keyboard and tell him to take a hike! (To put it sweetly!) 
Why is it the only expander you're permitted to use? How would any know what you're using?

xx


They think they're smart to accept it, but they're
m
If they're withholding taxes, you're not an IC.
As an IC, you should already be paying taxes. That said, the only benefit having them withhold FICA is that your Social Security/Medicare share will be less. Social Security is 15%; if you're an employee, you pay 7.5% and your employer pays 7.5%. As an IC, you pay 15%. Doing the math, 0.0925 would be your 0.10 minus 7.5%--the 0.0924 is just a tad less than you're making now.
We're out here (good MTs) but we're busy! sm
I don't recall ever taking an employment test where I wasn't offered a job. My MTSO does not even look at my work unless I happen to have a question or a blank, which happens maybe once in every 30 or so reports with an ESL. If you find a really good MT, how much training would be involved? Certainly you would save time in the long run once they're trained and you don't have to check all their work.
If you're one of the MTDesk clan then you're ok
wersdffa
You're right if you're single it's tough.

I am an IC as well, but I have a husband with benefits and makes a fair buck.  I am fortunate after 20 years to able to work from home.  I worked on site for 17 years with a "chocolate cake" the day I left.  Nothing more...  The loyalty in any profession is gone, gone, and gone again. 


Most companies want new employees/ICs that will take low pay and that won't cost much in the way of paying vacation time.


I do take every Friday off and try only to get on to check e-mail, etc. 


However, I wouldn't trade being here for my kids at this point.


There are headaches no matter what profession you are in.  It seems if it isn't one thing it's another. 


Raises?  Out of the question in this profession since most are afraid they will lose the account including myself.  I also underbid my last account because I wanted the account so bad.  I should be charging more. 


It is a neverending cycle really.


But, I still enjoy the work, so I guess that's the difference.  It does take will power to sit and type.  Some people need that boss hanging around to keep the production up and the incentive of a nice paycheck is just not good enough.


Good luck with your new job!  Sounds great! 


If you're new, good - if you're not a newbie, not so hot
Would need to know how long you have been an MT. For a newbie, this is a pretty good rate of speed.

However, if you have anything over a couple years of experience, then this is not too hot.

Also, what are the dictators like? Is it a "United Nations" account??

If you ARE capable of 200 lph or more and you can't seem to get it, then the problem has got to be with the platform you are using. In my experience, the platform into which you transcribe can make or break your paycheck - so if the platform stinks, then I hate to tell you, but there is no way you will be able to improve your line rate. I have quit jobs because of awful platforms more than once.
You realize by doing that they're making more money & you're making less? You should reconsid

It's just what you're comfortable with and what you're used to.
I give a minimum of $100 for acquaintances and raise the bar from there to good friends, relatives, immediate family getting the largest gift. 
that's because they're the big guys and you're only the
x
No, you're not missing anything, but you're really not seeing
anything either. InterFix designs and sets up software specifically to facilitate an easy conversion to overseas transcription.
You're both right and you're both wrong.
There are too many variables to give an accurate--or even estimated--count. Using a standard 1-inch margin, you may have short lines and lots of paragraphs and get a lower count. If no paragraphs and it's a full page of text from margin to margin, you get your higher count. You can't possibly use an average count because of variables, which is why no one can commit to a pat answer.
It says that's why you're QA and we're MT, simple enough?

Yes, of course, you're right.
You're absolutely right. Your E-mail shows such aspirational maturity -- I'm sure you were the class valedictorian, always the studious, respectful child. You have limitless options. That's how you ended up at MQ like the rest of us.
You're welcome SM

I know exactly what you mean.  I've worked for some of the largest teaching hospitals who had staff and resident lists nearly a foot thick but that was in the "old" days when pay was better and computers hadn't been heard of yet.  These modern days if a company can't provide their physician list in the data base where I can search with just a letter or 2, then I'm not going to work for them.  I suspect that lots of your company's MTs object to nonproductive time looking up tons of names and addresses and whether you realize it or not, you're on the clean up committee, getting those jobs when they are thrown back into the pool.  You might try talking it over with your supervisor and offering to continue doing the throw backs provided you're paid to do so.  I did that once when all I was getting day in and day out was the most horrible of horrible dictators.  Much to my surprise they agreed to compensate me appropriately.  Granted, the pickings for really good companies are slim but they are out there, you just have to find the right one.  Most will tell you anything you want to hear until you're hired, which is why I suggested keeping the old job until you've tried the new one on for size. 


Hope this helps!


You're welcome!

You're right. They do.
x
seems like you're saying..
Since its been done for so long its okay.  This is brutal to the animals and unhealthy to us.  Its also heartbreaking to a lot of us.  Although i'm not like those radical PETA members you described, when I see certain things being done to animals, it does move me, so I can understand their passion.  One thing that gets me to the core is selling birds at pet stores.  They were meant to be free and FLY, that is their whole purpose and for someone to keep them trapped in a little barred cage just for their personal enjoyment is just beyond me.  You have to actually 'feel' these things, its not crazy. 
You're welcome!
You're welcome, Miryam. Good luck to you - there are some really good companies out there.  Keep looking if you are seriously thinking about changing jobs.