Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

don't join in the conversation if you sm

Posted By: why not on 2006-03-15
In Reply to: This is such a controversial subject...spare us. (nm) - Not the place for this topic

don't want to but don't censor others from doing so!


Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

I think the same conversation is going on at
company board, not too far from type. Look for the blonde comments, sadly. I still have no clue which one is better, but I think some posters get into more detail. I personally would always go with spaces, 65 character line including spaces, but that's just me!
This whole conversation seems to have gone off in - sm
the direction of whether or not QA is "needed" or not, or whether or not they are up to doing their jobs correctly.

I'm not saying either of those things, but what I DID say was that all too often, both inhouse and at home, I've been having to deal with QA-ers who make changes where they should NOT be making them. I even had one take out an entire sentence that was CORRECT, and VERBATIM, and insert something that the doctor never even said, and which didn't belong with that patient's diagnosis.

That is SO unethical!
I just had a nasty conversation with a
telephone rep from India who informed me that all Americans were uneducated, stupid, and "farmers" and that India was getting all the jobs because they were all educated. She shut her fat mouth when I asked if that is why India still practices putting female infants on the hillsides to be eaten by wolves, why so many of their people are starving to death, and why disease is so rampant. They are getting to be the most arrogant bunch of people I have ever seen.
I have to say I am unsettled by this conversation. sm
I wouldn't dream of drinking while I am working.  I don't believe that is a "perk" of being at home and like several have said, I don't care who you are, alcohol impairs you.  I can't imagine saying anyone saying this is okay.  And, much as Endiqua said, using the everyone does it scenario is not only wrong, it's immature.  I hope we are more professional than that!
But that wasn't conversation....
that was criticizing the original poster for "assuming" that others celebrate Easter.  I don't think she assumed that at all; she was just asking what others were serving.  I think she would assume that those who don't celebrate wouldn't answer because the question wouldn't apply to them.
I had a telephone conversation come through once -
It may have been a walkie - I am pretty sure I saw the guy drive down the street in front of me talking on something - it was very brief, I think probably when he was in very direct range.  It was wierd!
But I'd rather listen to a side conversation than
erase and retype nearly every line.  Three times the effort for 1/3 the pay when he does that.  Back up.  Change that.  After it's already been typed.
Bizarre conversation on dictation
This obstetrician was talking to patient and her mother on a dictation this morning. The doctor and the patient's mother were trying to convince her to bring her dog into the office through the back door to have the doc do an ultrasound.  He said, "I know where the uterus is, I'll just take a look to see what's going on in there".  The patient had just given birth herself.  It was so very strange.  After about five minutes, he began to dictate. 
WOW - I just read your link to a conversation with -sm
AHDI, and I KF's answers to your questions are so vague, so filled with upper management doublespeak, that they basically say nothing at all. Except there is one thing she has constantly sidestepped answering, and that is - What is AHDI doing for UNITED STATES MT's. Her non-answer says it all: NOTHING.

You should send a copy of that conversation, and copies of other posts on this board, to our California Congress & Senate representatives.

There is SO MUCH anger on this board, and if we could just consolidate all of that, and direct it towards our elected officials, who might be able to do something about it legislation-wise, it might go a long way towards helping American MTs.

Thanks for your excellent post, and for taking the time to pull off part of KF's sheep-suit, so we can all see what's underneath.
This conversation was on the company board, but I think
about line counts and how we might be suspicious. Don't know, but checking your lines anytime and knowing exactly how they are calculated are apples and oranges. I for one would like to know exactly the formula, and I would like to know when it changes. If the calculation changes so should my original offer letter. That is IMHO.
good choice. mr. ed provides transportation and conversation.
but isn't he dead? 
Has anyone had a conversation with the people at Amherst about this situation. I am not sure where

to go after them to get any results. I would appreciate any recommendations you may have on this because it needs to be addressed.


Wrong - if you had gone to college you wouldn't be having this conversation.
Ever consider that maybe your lack of ambition is the problem and that your own set of choices have put you in a position you're not happy with? Of course not. It's always someone else's fault.
Listening to a cell phone conversation
My doc left his recorder on again. LOL
Had this exact same conversation here in 2005 - see message
Here is the original posting. I'm still doing MT but now on my terms. I don't make as much money as I did even 10 years ago but I get to pick and choose what I want to do. I still don't feel appreciated. And, once again, I blame the AAMT as well as the changes in business ethics that I see EVERYWHERE today. Let's not even get into the subject of the CEO's and their insane remuneration packages! Anyway, my only recommendation is to find something you love (MT or billing, or something else) and do it to the best of your ability and on YOUR OWN TERMS. That helps to mitigate the frustration, somewhat!




20 years as an MT - now I am on strike...sm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Post a Reply ] [ View Follow Ups ] [ Main Board ]
Posted By: on strike on 2005-09-12



After 20+ years as an IC I have seen my salary go down, down, down! Not because my speed has decreased, no, it has in fact increased dramatically due to the availability of ShortHand programs. No, my salary has gone since the inception of AAMT and their "standards" and practices. The organization that was going to help MT's become more respected has done the opposite. Yes, there were doctors out there who initially thought of me as a "typist" but I quickly showed them the difference between a typist and a "medical transcriptionist" (medical language specialist). Some of them were unwilling to pay for the difference, but most were pleased to pay a bit more for someone who knew when he was making a mistake and was willing to call and get it right. Today, however, the large MT companies have driven the IC out of business. They offer 4-hour turn around at ridiculously low rates. Many of these companies outsource to India, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc. Some of the outsourced work is done perfectly. Most is not. I am hearing this from office managers who cannot convince the business owners that it is "cheaper" to have the transcription done correctly the first time rather than have more time (money) spent doing QA.



Most of my work has been for large radiology clinics. Conglomerates that own upwards of 100 to 200 radiology clinics across the country own these clinics. The bottom line with management is the "bottom line". Their bonuses and hefty salaries are dependent on keeping costs down...therefore cheap transcription is a "must".



Finally, the reason for the steady decrease in salaries for MT's is the availability of cheap foreign and (yes!) American labor. MT's in this country are becoming more desperate and accepting the lower line rates. Yes, of course you need to in order to pay for food, etc. However, if ever there was a time for us to organize a "strike" this is the time. It will never happen, however, because we are too busy just getting by. And where has the AAMT been during this time (in particular the last ten years when salaries have been eroding the fastest)? They have been telling us the "proper" way to do transcription. In the "good old days" if we did not transcribe correctly we were fired. If we used poor grammar, we were fired. That simple! Meanwhile this group (AAMT) purporting to be working to benefit MT's has instead been working to benefit themselves. They benefit themselves by touting their CE courses and the need for us all to become CMT's, that we can only do through their courses and their tests. None of which are free.



No, I am not an AAMT hater. I hate the hypocrisy of the AAMT. I hate the fact that experience counts for naught in this field. I hate the fact that the moment corporate America realized that medical transcription was an income producing product mostly male executives realized that they could take over with large companies, offer work at a much lower price than an individual could, and force the medical Transcriptionist to work at the prices they foist on us. That is what I have seen over the past twenty years.



Don't bother flaming me for telling you what I have seen. Most of the flamers will be from large corporations or IC's who have accepted their fate. Yes, you are making good money typing thousands of lines a day at a few pennies each line. Yes, you pay your bills doing so. I am not putting you down for doing so. What I am saying is that over the past 20 years the medical transcription field has changed (been hijacked by large corporations) and as such the bottom line is "how cheap can we get the transcription done". Such is corporate America. Get it done cheap or someone else will get the contract.



So, what am I suggesting? I don't know for sure. Perhaps there is no answer for most transcriptionists other than to accept their fate. As for me, I am lucky enough to have an income so that I can go on "strike" until I find a job that pays me what I am worth. Or, until I go back to school to find another career! Which is the most likely course of action a lot of us will be taking no matter how much we love what we were doing.



If you have any useful insights I would love to hear them. Flamers will be ignored.




Conversation insinuating that RadGuy may be gay is NOT tolerated on this site.
Anyone who continues to post in this manner will have their posting ability immediately removed. 
WHATEVER. I can't handle ignorant people, which means this conversation is over.
SEE YA!
My conversation with you is over. You sound worse than a pack of 6th grade girls.
x
I'd join it!
.
I will so join you on that!

If you'll also add a branch for cell-phone drivers ... SHHH*T (...In Traffic). 



Why thank you ER MT, and sure you can join
me anytime you'd like.  It is very cold here in the state of Delaware, too, and I think the snow is coming!  I love the snow when it first falls because it is so pretty.  We like to go to Rehoboth, which is a little over an hour south of us, so that's where I drift when it is cold and stressful.  Thanks for you help by the way with the avatar, I greatly appreciate it. 
join me???
Me and a few other transcriptionists are going to do hand-written letters to The White House about how outsourcing is affecting hospital employees, transcription in particular.  I am having them to mail me their letters, and I am going to put them all into a big envelope together and mail them to The White House.  If you would like to join us in this, please email me and I will give you my address so that your letter can be in there as well.  We are trying to get our voices heard and save our careers, so please join us.
YOU, Busy MT'ing, are one of those that fail to reach mature conversation when you mockingly add
x
Could this entire conversation BE any more high school? Grow up, you guys, honestly.

Another group to join...sm
DeadBeatHunters@yahoo.com - you can learn from other posters. Be careful about the accuracy of their advice, though. The monitor told me that you can get retroactive to your application with CSE, but the CSE attorney said they do not do that. Since it took 2 years to locate my husband' Ex, that could have been alot of money!

http://www.deltabravo.net/custdy/ - you can go here because one of the forums is called Child Support. They even have a page there where you can learn things that are specific for your state. I think that's where you can read about child support laws in your state.

What's your case about? Do you have an CS order signed by a judge? Can the deadbeat be located? Is he interstate (it's a felony to leave the state if you are in arrears for child support).

Just don't give up! Good Luck!
Join Curves or a gym...really

I have found that if I get up in the morning and go to Curves on a regular basis after I send my kids off to school, I have the chance to interact with people, get some exercise, and even make some good girlfriends because you are all there at the same time every day or every other day.  You feel good by the time you get home, take a shower and sit down to work.  I've also found church to be a huge outlet as well as getting involved with community events (i.e. volunteering) to be very rewarding.  You have to make your life, it does not come to you.  Hang in there, this is a great job to have, don't give it up for that reason, you can really make the isolation a non-issue.  Best Wishes


join the club
Age/arthritis? - see a doctor. Out of shape? - exercise. Here are some PT back exercises: http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/lowback.html

Feel better!
joint/join
Ummmm - that was join, not joint.
If You Can't Beat Them Join Them

There's an old saying which says "If You Can't Beat Them Join Them"  I dunn think any of us can stop outsourcing and I dunnt feel there is any point crying over loss of income. So I have followed this ("If You Can't Beat Them Join Them") and I did't lose a dime as the companies outsourced big time. I have myself started taking 100% more work than before and am outsourcing them to individuals in India (the quality generally is good) who does the transcribing (obviously I get the work done at a much lower rate than what I myself get paid). By doing so my hourly rate works out even higher than anno's


VLM -Tried in the 60's to get transcriptionists to join a
union to no avail. Nurses at that time also were non-union - they decided to unionize as their pay and benefits were also abysmal at that point in time. Compare that to their income & benefits now compared to ours. The reply I received for not joining a union then was that the transcriptionists did not want to jeopordize patient care in case of a strike. Well,I agreed we played an integral part in patient care, albeit felt it was secondary compared to the role of nurses regarding patient care - who decided to risk going on strike and made the choice to unionize!!

I totally dropped out of transcription for 10 yrs, only to return and find that AAMT was the answer to our problems. Need I say more ?

As far as the scenario of striking in this day and age with no income, I imagine if I'd add up all the slow days, days without work, holiday periods without work, I could also survive a strike. Only difference being knowing I'd return to work with better benefits including help with health care coverage and increased pay, rather than decreased pay. Shoot - maybe even being recognized as a "Profession" instead of a typist - cognizant of our intelligence & knowledge!!

I don't know to this day if unionizing would have helped us back in the years when it was feasible, but still feel we couldn't have been any worse off than where we are today!

Trying to organize a union now I'll leave in the hands of my internet savvy young ones. How this could be accomplished in this day and age is now beyond my level of expertise!




You 2 should find each other and do lunch sometime! I'm too far away to join ya...nm
s
Not sure on this but I think you pay to be listed with the BBB - (join a member) so many probably j
the money to do so. Search the archives or Google them. Otherwise unless they are offering some outragous pay over such as over .12 cpl, then I would not worry about it and go for it.
RadGuy, come join my family,

I'm sorry if I'm laughing about your relative but with 3 different religions in 2 sisters and my mom, I totally understand. 


The last time my BIL came to a family get together (he is a quasi-minister), he was talking about how we were all going to hell because we have never spoken in tongues.  My mom couldn't help it and a big gawk came out of her mouth.  All eyes were on her as she is not known to hold her tongue.  She looked him straight in the eye and said, "well, you know, what if you're wrong and I when I die I get to heaven and I'm having a good time, then you die and go to heaven....will you be just as excited on that day to see me as you are today?  I bet you'll be wishing you had gone to hell instead at the thought of spending eternity with ME!"


Food and beverages spewed over the entire table.


Each of my sister's sons  told me I was going to hell because #1 I wore shorts, #2 I cut my hair and #3 I wore makeup.  I sweetly told each of them I'd be the hottest looking chick in hell if that were the case   Now, I'm the "cool" aunt they all love to come to visit.  Lighten up and enjoy a little bit of witty banter!


Join a church? Seriously. I have a mom's group through the sm
church where we get together for lunch once a week amongst many other activities within our church. Fairly large church. Couldn't survive without it.
Did you see where they were asked to join churches?
How can they ignore a question like that? "Would you like to join our church?" Suppose they could just say no, which seems a little rude as to why not exactly. I can see her dilemma.
Have a friend who wants to join our group but
I forgot exactly what I did to get to chat in the first place. Can someone walk me through it so I can let them know? Thanks!
You could join a study group through sm
AHDI, but there is no radiology-specific CMT credential.  In fact, I took the test within the past year and there are hardly any rad-specific questions on it.
Hope California would join the two states
doing the protest soon!!!
Join the club on being confused. With turning us

things are charged, billed, or anything any more.


It just seems like they wanted me to work for nothing to clean up ASR reports.  It was pitiful what they wanted, considering what they needed me to clean up.  I could have typed it faster and better using my word expanders.


Maybe she should join Tatum O. on Dancing With the Stars. (sm)

The Desperate Housewives are always great, they get my vote.


i agree... Maybe I will join MENSA, just for the companionship
no shame in having a good IQ, when all the dust settles. Go for it MT!
Regarding AAMT, is it wise to join? Opinions please...

have been an MT for almost four years but have not joined as of yet.  Would like to hear pros and cons.  TIA.


Funny... can I join the Bon Voyage party with a few of my own? Seriously though
it's so very hard to just leave a blank, we are so so so anal retentive in this profession, so beat down most of the time, because everyone wants perfection all the time (impossible) we have to lighten up on ourselves, take a deep breathe and realize that sometimes a "blank" is the best you can do.
Join as in moral support, call me and I will be there with my name on the line.
I have called the attorneys and given any information they may need including my name, phone, e-mail address and home address to contact me if and when I can officially become part of the lawsuit. For now, I have joined in the solidarity of supporting the original MQMTs which is better than them just standing out there alone with no support whatsoever. So if the attorneys go to them and say hey, we got a list of 1000 names who have phoned us to join in support of your efforts it's a whole lot better than no one responding the attorneys who asked MQMTs to call in their complaints.

WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?
maybe he's thinking of a plan to join forces with winner of HOH?
The thing with Kaysar is he wants to do everything perfect and wants to win so he fights to win HOH even if Janelle would not put him up for evictions. That's why people like Kaysar.
Join the crowd. No it isnt just you. Is that what they tell you. That seems to be MQ favorite line
that they tell their robots to tell us. Its just you. Bull. You aint alone my dear. Just cant figure where the lines went.
You need to join a divorce support group. Look around. Helped
zz
excuse me? at 60 years old you suggest I should join the real world?

Adult children CHOSE to join army.Didnt they
x
recommend the newbie MT join AAMT online chapter and suck the SM
dickens out of their "We Ment Well" (play on We Mentor Well) forum, to which non-newbies are excluded, and for which there is a plethora of talented folks of all types of persuasions more than willing to help.
Can she join a mom's discussion group or exercise where they have childcare? She'll feel bette
s