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You have a very talented and skilled writting. I had a great time reading your comments. Universal,

Posted By: Gabriel Dickinson on 2006-02-08
In Reply to: I have tried almost all the weird keyboards there are. I buy them off Ebay. GoldTouch is my - fave. Am going to buy another for back-up. nm

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We were just there the 16-21 -- Universal was great - sm
I cannot comment on the lines though because we had a special pass due to my daughter being in cancer recovery and it was a Make-A-Wish trip; we went right to the front of the line on each ride basically. There was 1 ride at Universal though when we were there that had a 1 hour wait, forget the exact name, it was the name of a dinasour "P... flyer". The ride was 80 seconds long. I am happy we did not have to wait for that one, nuts. Fun ride but not worth an hour wait. I will definitely miss that pass the next time we go, but it helped us accomplish a lot w/o Jen getting too tired which is the purpose of the pass in the first place. The crowds were not bad until the 19th I thought then it got a bit more crowded at Disney, people coming for Christmas I presume. Animal kindgom was mobbed, but the trails are very skinny there and that was a big part of the problem and why it seemed to crowded. The weather sucked though, rained for 3 days straight, was relatively warm though at 66-68 which was a lot better than the 20 degrees we were coming from at the time. I've been to Disney in April, June, August and December. The best weather and time was probably in April. It's crowded whenever you go of course, so that really is not an issue. Whenever you go, have a good time!-- P.S. I highly recommend Emerils at Universal Studios, expensive but excellent food (this was our 1 splurge for the trip).
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Who wants to waste their time reading this stuff here? nm
bv
If you will spend some time reading the company board

you'll see that the industry is more volitile than ever.  Work is being offshored to India and other countries and the garbage is left for the US MT.  Companies are going to VR.  Pay is low, you can expect to make 9 to 10 cpl average as an employee, maybe up to 11 cpl as an independent contractor.  A lot of companies cannot provide steady work and insurance is very expensive. 


I would not recommend leaving your job to pursue MT full-time.  Most companies want the experience to be current, within the last 2 years, so you could potentially have some issues with being 3 years out.


I would suggest trying it part-time to get a feel for how things are before you decide. 


 


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Working full time at home with small children is hard but part time works great
is almost impossible. You will either have to work when your spouse is home or for only a few hours during the day and then more when they are asleep. I work part time at home and my kids (2&5 now) have done very, very well. They are great kids, very well behaved, don't get into much. I stop working to check on them/give them some attention every hour or so while I work (5 hours each afternoon or so) and they get all my attention in the morning and at night. It has worked out beautifully for us.
That's great Patti. Thanks. Have a great time at the beach.
x
That is amazing...that doc is talented!
nm
Can point in a direction but takes reading, re-reading sm

Goggle.com and enter various phrases to get articles and companies.  I use a free doanload of ExpressScribe, yep, it is free. They have a number of various software things on their site to read and perhaps one will fit. The express Scribe is a piece of sotware to download, it is very simple and I like simple. You can listen and transcribe various voice file formats. You can use a wav pedal one is called a serial pedall and I think it is 9 pin and plugs in the back of PC and also another pedal I think a 15 pin wav pedal and goes in the USB port in front.  However, you can also use it without a pedal and it works fine.  You use a couple of key to stop, pause, rewind, I forget the key.  There are a lot of pedals so don't just jump in.  On this site you may benefit from emailing the company after reading and rereading, even if you don't understand.  .


_______________


http://nch.com.au/


 


Express scribe site above Copy and paste into address bar in your browser.


Need help can email darleneh1111@earthlink.net   


An error reading or a negative reading? (nm)
nm
Universal MT Testing

Anyone else out there looking for a job only to be deluged with requests to take applicant testing at mttest.com? 


After taking this test three times for different companies it occurred to me that why not test once or retest for a higher score, etc and be able to share this info with all potential employers. 


After researching this site, I have found out it's all about the mightly dollar.  Did you know the more applicants a company sends for testing, the bigger discount they get?


Urgh.. I have two more invites to take the test in my inbox. 


There has got to be a better way, any ideas?


Universal MT Testing
Our company contracts with Career Step (MTTest.com) to screen and test our applicants. After having tested hundreds of applicants who expect and deserve quick notification, we have found this method to be beneficial not only to our company in recruiting but to the MT who is not really qualified for the position we need filled. Immediate pass/fail notification is a plus I think.

Our old method was to give randomized voice files by speciality (as someone in the string suggested), but the time it took to check the test and get back to the MT took considerable man hours and expense. We have seen numerous complaints posted about MTs who test for various companies who do not hear back immediately from companies they tested for, but who do not bother to call the company in question either. It becomes a catch-22. The company generally will respond to someone who is interested enough to call and inquire how they did on the test if they have not heard back in a week or so following the test. Conversely, there are many times a company does follow up immediately only to find that the MT is no longer available or interested.

The testing site at Career Step screens an applicant. If you pass the screening, you move on to the objective portion (general medical knowledge). If you pass that portion, you move on to the transcription test. You would be amazed at how many do not get through the screening.

I would recommend this type of testing to any service who is recruiting. The cost is minimal when you consider the time saved by ruling out those who are not qualified right off the bat. For those of us who do take trainees, we also have the ability to check the scores on the screening and objective portions and decide to give the MT a try. We've found quite a few diamonds in the rough that way.

The test is randomized and is customized for each company. I believe confidentiality prevents the site from "sharing" applicant scores, but any MT that has taken the test for other companies on the site is welcome to let me know their scores on the screening and objective protion, which might prompt us to pass them on to the transcription portion. It is certainly worth consideration.

does anybody wonder if we get universal healthcare
in the coming years that we will see a quick drop in ESL dictators?  I personally know a doctor from Canada that came to the US to work because (she says)  doctors make next to nothing there.  I suspect that is why the dictators from Spanish-speaking countries come here too, though I have no insight at all into thier medical practices/insurance/laws/fees there.  I just wondered if healthcare fees  ever came under strict government guidelines, i.e., not charging $4 for a Tylenol, if we would see a decrease in our difficult dictators....Thoughts?
Not sure about Universal, but I think you pay the same for Disney whether you pay at the gate or in
x
I understand what you are saying, but this is a highly skilled sm
field, not "washing dishes" or even "working at Wallyworld." Yes, there is VR and other things out there making this our jobs easier and in very rare cases, null and void, but this industry STILL requires skilled MTs who will pick up what VR and computers just cannot do.

I do VR on a regular basis and there are so many gross errors it isn't even funny. I would say 50% of any given document contains error that would be a detriment to direct patient care.

I received a newsletter recently from my company that stated this industry is growing and that the industry is having a very difficult time finding experienced, good MTs to do all of the work given to any given company. That, to me, was very, very positive in the way of where our jobs will be in 10 years.

I don't see in 10 years VR or foreigners taking our jobs. In 30 to 50, maybe, but not anytime soon.

So, a company offering 7 cpl to an experienced MT is a disgrace (especially if they take it). On new grads, I think 4 cpl is just fine because I also taught MT at a local college and there was no way that any of my students (graduates) could do this from home without a mentor/QA, etc., full-time for at least a year until they could be on their own. They would make way too many mistakes.
If we get universal healthcare ESL docs will be

Do you know in Canada it can take up to FIVE MONTHS to get an MRI done?


I experienced socialized medicine with the military. It SUCKS!


Yes, our system is bad, but let's fix it.


Katie, some people are much more skilled than SM
others, some work harder than others, some work faster than others, some work longer than others.

First off, I do not because, I choose not to work a full 40-hour work week, week after week.

But by multiplying my own hourly earnings: It is very possible to make comfortably more than $50, even more than $60K/year as an employee of a national putting out good-quality work (even transcribing lots of ESLs!) IF:

You are fully skilled.

You are working on accounts you are nicely familiar with and have all your templates et cetera set up for.

The accounts do not run out of work (a biggie) so that you can get 8 hours of production within a reasonable workday (should not have to spend 12 hours a day married to the offce to get it).

You are paid somewhere in the upper 20ish percent of the rate range (note I didn't say have to have top pay).

You are either an exceptionally fast typist or use an Expander a great deal and take advantage of computer features.

You work hard.

You work smart and don't waste time where it doesn't count.

You have some talent for the work.

You WORK A FULL 40-HOUR WORK WEEK.

Reasons why some don't even approach that include:

Not fully skilled. Just think, for instance, of those who don't use an expander. And a skilled worker will produce many lines in the time it takes another to look up one term.

Not familiar with accounts.

Account frequently runs out of work--and MT accepts less income instead of walking.

Is a whizbang registered nurse/racecar driverccur et cetera, but lack talent for THIS work.

Doesn't work HARD and push for high productivity. Just working is not the same as working HARD (it is tiring).

Has enough work but doesn't put in a solid 8 hours of production per day (although might think so, maybe forgets to subtract time spent complaining here from the work day).

Katie, although average incomes have gone down significantly, a lot more people are making decent money than posts on this forum give any idea of. Those people don't spend a whole lot of time here, though. Guess why! Best wishes for your own good income.
It is a shame that it takes such a skilled..sm
person to be a MT yet the jobs are just pitiful. The companies can't provide enough work. The pay is pitiful. Why isn't this profession looked at with more prestige? I mean it is sad when you have been an MT for years and can't make a living doing this even with 2 jobs.
I'm JEALOUS! Have a GREAT time! NM
x
1990. Really had a great time there! nm
nm
Long-term skilled unit?
ss
What pedal is universal so I can test for various companies?
I am going from working locally to searching for a national position and need a pedal to even test most places.  Is there a certain type or brand that works universally to play all types of files?  I'm pretty ignorant about this whole setup.  Also, do I have to purchase software to run the pedal?  What about headphones or can I just use mine through the computer speakers?  Thank you all for your help and expertise.  It's greatly appreciated!
There needs to be a way to provide universal health care BUT sm
I don't believe that a national system is the right answer. If you look to Hawaii which has a law for universal coverage, it works pretty well.

We have had CHiPS which is the child health plan. I know something about that and had it for my own grown kids when it very first started. You get that if you don't qualify for Medicaid, and if your employer doesn't provide or if the premium of what is provided through employment is more than a given percentage of income.

This issue is one that I feel is best handled by the states, not by the feds. All you have to do is look at the No Child Left Behind to see how well that kind of thing works. States know what their demographics look like. They know what sector of the population is without health insurance and they know what funds they provide to various indigent programs to provide for the poor. It is the lower middle class woman and the lower middle class child who is most likely to be uninsured because they make too much for Medicaid and too little for any type of private insurance and most employers in this bracket can't/won't offer anything.

If you look at Medicare, which is a mess actually, and CHiPS which functions better, they are about the same idea for two different sectors of the population. There are HMOs and plans that one chooses. They are all a bit different, but you all know how this works. The companies who insure people through these plans keep costs and premiums down in order to participate.

I am in favor of the federal government figuring out a capitation rate along the lines of Medicare or Medicaid and paying this to the states, but more broadly to cover more people. Then, the states can figure out what they can contribute. If they eliminate funding for indigent services to cover these people under a statewide plan, that can go into the kitty. Every person in every state WITHOUT employer provided insurance, will be required to contribute to the state plan in some way, based on income. Employees with company provided insurance can opt to participate in the state program. The idea is to recoup the money wasted on county, city and state indigent programs and put it to the greater good. With having not to cover unpaid medical bills because there aren't any, anymore, it should help to raise the amount that states and other agencies have to pay into the system. Insurance companies will have to bid lower to participate in this, because I think it is best that they are the ones who administrate, private sector always does better...

well now I am boring you, but I see what I mean! LOL
You're a big girl and a skilled worker. SM
If you haven't resolved this problem already, go ahead and do it this morning. You know, as a high-skilled MT you should be making at least 3 times whatever your local minimum wage is. Best wishes.
Soon it will be the government, Universal Health Care, nm
xxx
Taking time off without the worries is great

I think too many times IC's are treated like employees.  The OP is an IC and has a set schedule?   If you have a set schedule (no freedom), you should be deemed an employee and given PTO days, etc.  IC's should not be made to let anyone know anything.    Two weeks is an extended amount of time and out of courtesy she should let her "client" even if that is an MTSO know in advance that she will not be available to work those two weeks.  As for toting a laptop on vacation, not me!  The whole idea of a vacation is to relax and not have to worry about typing.  Most physicians do understand that you need a vacation.  They will cut you some slack.  Not sure about a two week period though.  Someone with their own accounts that wants to take off extended periods of time (more than one week) should probably find someone to "cover".    I have also found in this profession that transcriptionists do not trust others as they could try to steal their accounts if they were to take time off leaving the account in someone else's hands literally.  All the more reason to network and find someone trustworthy who will scratch your back and you in turn scratch their back when needed.  Tit for TAT so to speak but at a fair price.


It goes both ways. Not all those with positive experiences are skilled or professional.

Some are in it for the referral bonus, some are company recruiters posting anonymously.  It's really hard for anyone to tell the motives, but you can usually tell from the way a person posts who is on the up and up from those who are just spewing sour grapes and those bucking for the referral bonus. I tend to believe negative posts that don't personally insult other posters over positive posters that completely rule out any type of problem.  If a person is saying that their company is perfect and there are NO problems, that should send up red flags.


FutureNet --- treating me like the highly skilled professional I am.
you can apply on their web site. they sought me out... grape vine told them i was hating MQ --

only downside... no benefits, gotta be SE... it's what MQ was going to do to me anyway, so no big loss..
Isn't it great! I cringe every time I see the posts here about "tapes" nm

Great offer, gets WAY better with time, you should get regular pay raises. sm
and the benefits sound great, for 2nd shift!
Well, shoot. quit! A recession's a great time to SM
go back to school anyway, like Amanda. I've forgotten some of the exact quotes I've read, but various economists have predicted that, because of the ongoing technology revolutions, people these days should plan on having to retrain for new jobs approximately 5 times during their lives. And they weren't talking about a little brush-up now and then either, but throwing in the towel and moving on. So how about having some fun figuring out what you should have done if you could go back and do it all over again, and then going for some version of it?

Since your family won't miss your income, if needed, you could spend your very last months in this field piling up tuition money to move on to something better.
Good answers and becoming a skilled MT takes surprisingly long, but SM
although 5 years may be about average, there's an old saying about how some people have 20 years' experience and some have one year repeated 20 times. If you want to cut that 5 years down VERY substantially, work full time (a conscientious full time, not just slopping thru the day) and push for new work types and accounts as woon as you've milked the old ones for all you can learn from them. Plus, a reality is that availability of the Web as a resource now helps people function at a much higher level earlier than previously.
What future demand is there for higher-skilled MTs? Inquiring mind wants to know. SM
Seriously--with computers taking over the keyboarding and the electronic medical record replacing much (just HOW much?) of the currently dictated verbage, what need will healthcare providers have that we can train to fill at least the same remuneration if not better? What potential is there for remote work? I confess I'm very fond of my current commute down the hall to my office, and googling MT in England, which has had the EMR for some time now, suggests it's high time I figure out how I'm going to keep it. Any thoughtful or knowledgeable answers would be greatly appreciated.
You're very welcome!! I had a great time, too! Took a couple of extra BP pills!!
You have a great weekend!!!  MomMT - where did she go?? Too much cookies and milk, maybe?  Bye, Guys!!
Great opportunity now. Work full time, show
x
You're already doing great! You'll be there in no time. I wasn't as fast as you when I star
b
As Economy Slumps, Firms Line Up to Hire Skilled Foreign Workers

 What the heck is going on around here?  It just gets better by the day!


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/19/economy-slumps-firms-line-hire-skilled-foreign-workers/


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Two comments....

First of all, everything you say may be true of the mother regarding her suspicion, but as I always try to do before I criticize and pass judgment on others, first try to mentally "walk a mile in her shoes."  You might be thinking the same thing under similar circumstances.


 


Secondly, she signed a waiver for her daughter to go on that trip with full knowledge that these "adult children" were not going to be supervised by these chaperones in any fashion other than just being "available" if they needed them and to help out if anyone lose their passport or suitcase, stuff like that.  The mother knew full well why she was letting her daughter got to Aruba... TO DRINK AND PARTY!   If she didn't know that, then she's a dense as they come.  I wouldn't give my daughter 2 cents towards a trip to Aruba at age 18.  There's only one reason to go to an island like that, to drink.  If the beach is what you want, we've been known to have a few beaches here in the USA, but they don't want that, they want to be free to party it up.  So you can't blame the chaperones, at least not in my opinion.


Comments
Does nobody want to comment on how much they get paid?
comments
Dee, if you do not have one already, try out an ergonomic split keyboard. Those are the best. I notice that for any reason if I have to use a plain keyboard that I start developing wrist pain.
OT Comments
You should keep a separate record of hours worked so that should you ever decide to file something with the Department of Labor that you worked OT hours that were not paid you have a record to submit. Other MTs have done that in the past and indeed been paid the back pay they were entitled to.
thanks for the comments!
I appreciate knowing this can be done...