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on the nice side -

Posted By: Amanda on 2008-10-03
In Reply to: Sorry I even asked - frustrated

Your message made it sound like you did not want to do what they said - it did not sound like you were following instructions and they were counting it wrong.

It also sounds like the other poster thought you were actually typing "Jane Doe" instead of a patient name and had misunderstood you there.

I don't think anyone was trying to be hateful to you. I think your message just got a bit out of whack because you were upset when you were writing it and there was a miscommunication.


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Nice rant. Here's one from the MT side!
I'm sort of a newbie compared to some here I bet, 3 years acute care. I look up things almost constantly, my books have had their covers blown off, and Google all the time. Mistakes and/or blanks? Sure, I'm human. I have trouble when the dictators barely speak English, dictate ridiculously fast, ignore their own format, etc. I don't understand why they think it's acceptable. Considering the high productivity and near perfect accuracy required, knowing or finding terminology in every specialty, every work type for more than four hospitals, I am surprised at this job's relatively low pay and apparent low opinion of the position. Just another clerical job to offshore asap? I sometimes I have to fight the attitude, "Well if they don't care, I DON'T CARE, garbage in, garbage out!!"

I have even watched movies of the surgeries on my own time to understand all the details. Sorry you have to clean up after a few lousy MTs but don't put us all in the same basket :)
How nice is this keyboard? Nice light touch?
I have a regular Microsoft ergonomic one now but I'm thinking I should probably get a replacement and use mine as a backup. 
I was nice today, and people were nice to me.
If you steer away from the nastiness, there are a few nice and encouraging posts in there. 
From the other side
I know how you feel but one day before you know it there'll be no slamming doors, no one talking (or fighting) outside your office door, no one interrupting you, the dishes will be done and the house neat with nothing else needing to be done.  Send 'em over to me for a couple of hours.  I used to couldn't wait for some peace and quiet but it really isn't all that great after all.  Sign me....missing the young 'uns.
On my Mom's side
a cousin actually got a call from the Jerry Springer show wanting her, her husband, and live in YOUNG boyfriend to be on a show. NO KIDDING!!!!



Think of yourself on the other side.....sm
Then, make your decision.

Send the cards, by all means, but don't court work with it. Do the soliciting after the holidays, as you had originally planned. I betcha some of those folks will remember the wonderful holiday card from you!

I think you already know this or you would not have put up this post asking advice. Right?

Enjoy the holidays, wish others to do the same, and then attack! LOL
On the plus side...
I think Paula's hair is better than ever...thank goodness. That's all I have to say about her. ;o)
On the other side of never ..
where else?
Another side.....sm
Although I do agree with everyone that has already posted about this field, I do have quite the opposite story.  I worked for the government for years when I started having my family.  Worked out okay with my first child because I worked nights and hubby worked days and she was always with one of us (which is always an option you could consider).  But when I got pregnancy with my second child, I knew something had to change and I knew I had to make close to the same money I was currently bringing in to keep the household going.  I took a course from At-Home professions (not recommended).  I took this course at home through my pregnancy while still working.  I was then hired by a local clinic to do their notes at home, which I did for awhile as I continued to work nights.  I had the baby and while on maternity leave, I started really sending out the resumes and doing followup calls.  I then landed my first "real" job as a medical Transcriptionist from my home office.  After a couple months, I felt secure in putting in my notice with current employer and the rest is history!  I have been doing it ever since, 14 years now, in my home office.  I do have to say though that if it wasn't for Sandy, the transcription manager, I would not be where I am today.  Through her patience and guidance, I learned more from her than I did my course, so I was one of the lucky ones at that time.  If you are really serious about giving this a shot, I would recommend Career Step or M-Tec for you schooling choices.  You can take these courses at home.  Companies will hire you to work at home right out of your schooling from these two schools.  Be prepared to work hard...there is a lot to learn, but it CAN be done.  I still learn something new every day 14 years later, but I am so thankful I was and still am able to be here for all three of my children.  Not always easy, but very doable!!!  I average about $18 an hour.  Just another side to consider.  Best wishes to you and congratulations on your new baby!  Enjoy:)
Way to go...see in side.
Ctrl Alt Up arrow right side up

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see in side
Only thing I can think of is if they are thinking you have dial up, because you could not be connected to internet and phone line at same time. Unless they are paying for the line and they want a separate bill.

You have your regular phone line, if you have one for your every day calls and for work calling. Your c-phone connects to phone line so you would have to have a phone line available to you for transcribing continuously. If you plan any contact with the outside world you would want to have a second line.

I have 2 lines but use one for my computer and the other for calls. When I use my C-phone, I use the computer line too so my house line is still open. I have phone line and c-phone plugged into a dual jack then to the computer so I never have to plug/unplug it.

People say I call you all the time but your phone is always busy. Normally these are folks I don't want calling me. If they new me they knew to call the correct number! So, maybe they just want you to have a dedicated line. If it is local see if they will pay it. Hopefully that was not too confusing.
I am on your side!

I am not a slouch MT, but I have seen a great deal of them.  Then they come on this board and anonymously pick away and ridicule.  My idea of a perfect world:  Hospitals would have to have their transcription departments on site.  Then there would be no outsourcing, no offshoring, and those who aren't so sure of what they are doing could ASK someone who DOES know what they are doing, like QA lady, and the report would be correct the first time and everyone would be happy except those in India who call themselves transcriptionists and I personally could care less if they are happy or not. 


From the other side...
From the other point of view, I struggle with this issue a lot. I have a certain mental illness (I'm actively being treated and am as well medicated as I ever have been) and I know that sometimes when I start to slip and my anxiety and paranoia get really bad, I am just convinced I am going to die. Every little ache, pain, twinge, sneeze...I'm sure it is a sign of something fatal. Somewhere in my head I know I am being irrational, but my brain takes off without me. The fear is almost paralyzing at times.

I'm not trying to be dramatic. I'm just saying how it is for me personally. And I wanted to point out that not everyone with this problem is just doing it for attention. Some people really are ill.


Side to side.
aaaaaaaaaaaaa
I know an RN that did this on the side
She makes the rules up as she goes along, gives her MTs incorrect information that goes against AAMT BOS.  Unfortunately she hires alot of newbies and these girls are being trained incorrectly.  She would NEVER survive doing a hospital account and only has clinical transcription.  Her company is so out of date they still use tapes.  It's like working in Mayberry, RFD! 
other side of it
I thought of that after I posted the first time. You're right - it depends on if the VR system is coming from the hospital or the MTSO. Sometimes the hospital is not aware and the MTSO is just taking a bigger profit by shorting the MT. I would say sometimes it is the MTSO just trying to get bigger profits by forcing MTs into VR and sometimes they feel compelled into it because the client says reduce your rates or lose the account to someone else.
Whose side are you on?!
Bashing an MT with a legit gripe and comparing it with a $5.75/hour unskilled labor job?!

The reason MY JOB is so difficult is because doctors have a sense of entitlement to make an MTs workday a living h---, and thanks to brown-nosers like you they CONTINUE to make nearly impossible demands.

Another thing, you sound like an impossible demanding customer thinking everyone should kiss your foot in the McD's line
However, there's a flip side
The company I work for actually lost a large hospital account because THEY wanted to go to VR and we wouldn't!
The down side to homeschooling
I have personally seen kids that have been home schooled and become "out of touch" with society. These kids ultimately end up having "culture shock" when they are out in the real world and around lots of people.

I know of several kids that were home schooled and when the parents decided it was too much and they sent them back to school the kids were "THRILLED!" During the home schooling process, the kids became disengaged from friends and became loners.

Again, this is my own personal experience that I have witnessed through friends.

DON'T FLAME ME this is just what I have witnessed first hand!!!!!
Side Dish
Any suggestions for a side dish to go with spinach lasagna?
Who needs to use the other side of the brain?

Life is complicated enough for us guys!


on the lighter side of Man

and after spending 3 days in a log cabin out in the middle of nowhere with my family for Christmas, I was reminded once again of that old saying "girls rule while boys drool"!  It was a beautiful Christmas with all the extended family ,but being the only girl out of 11 boys, I am an expert


as a side thought (sm)
remember to say "I love you." Also a hug goes a long way! Our kids do the ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww mom and dad when they catch us in a hug. It's not a bad hug or anything, just an I love you hug. We think it's funny, but I'd rather them remember their younger days of mom and dad hugging than not. I don't have those memories of my parents because they didn't show affection.

Oops, going off down memory lane there.
I don't know...sometimes the story is different from the other side...sm

I have in-laws in their 90's. They live about 3 miles from DH and myself, and 8 miles from their daughter. They have another son, who lives about 2.5 hours from here, apparently they moved that far away because MIL always expected that son to come over every weekend if they lived closer.


So my husband cuts the grass, cleans the gutter, shovels the snow. Even though they can't walk outside the house in the winter because they are so old, they are right on the phone the minute he walks in the door at 4:00 p.m., "nicely wondering" when he can come up to shovel the walks?


Last year, he came home with some talk about how I was supposed to go up at 10:00 to check the post office box. Seems they had some meds that were coming in the mail and if they weren't in the mail that day, they had to call the doctor and run into the drugstore to get some. These are people who can't think out of the box. I mean, the ONLY option was for me to go up there at 10:00 to look in the darn box. They couldn't call the mail order pharmacy, they couldn't call Cheryl, the postmistress to see if it came, they couldn't ask the neighbor who was going there anyway to see if it was in - no the only thing was for me to go up there at 10:00 to check the box. So I called sister in law and asked what this was about. She asked me to go up and check the box at 10:00 (not even asking if I was available - I mean what if I was having a tooth extracted at 10:00?) and when I told her I couldn't, boy did she unload on me!  About 20 years worth of resentment came spilling out. Get this, sister in law doesn't work or have kids but boy she sure doesn't like changing her schedule to take care of her own mom and dad. She's got too much to do so I'm supposed to do it? Even with a business,  and 2 school age kids? She ended up calling me a "selfish b****" and formally declared "World War III." She then told my mother in law she couldn't "babysit" my kids anymore (what's to babysit with a 10 year old comes over to watch tv?) and did other nasty things.  So, according to her, I'm doing nothing and I SHOULD help, but that's not my take on the situation. If these people have three grown children, two of which do not even work (the big brother is retired) and the three of them can't handle it? Sheesh. Not saying that's your situation but there might be some of the same stuff in there...


on the flip side....
Howver, tonight I have spent the longest time on a very long dictation for the absolute worst dictator. Not dreamy--a nightmare! Although I was dreaming of stranguling him through the internet connection--ah if only. Oh, my nerves are on edge now and he was the last one it looks like for the night. What a horrible way to end the night. Maybe a few more will filter in so I can forget him.
I would go for the money and keep the side job because---
things change really fast in MT these days. In either job, you could be out of work within the next year. I'd start stashing some cash.
No, they are on the other side of the country
xx
if you get sound out of one side sm

of earphones.  Does anyone have any suggestions.  I tried other earphones and the same thing.  I check volume etc. 


 


TIA


wow! what side of the bed did you get up on today..sm
meeeoooowwww!!! ppfffttt!! pull in your claws. geez she isn't trying to take YOUR job away!
side-swiped
It must feel like being side-swiped. Unfortunately between the venture capitalists running things for some companies behind the scenes and the number crunchers you never know what they're up to. Let me know if you're interested in a better company. Thanks.
The other side of the coin. sm
I started out in an ortho office as a medical assistant for which I went to school for one year. That program included transcription, but I was a total amateur coming out of that course. At all of it.....front office, back office, MT, insurance filing, all of it. Had it not been for the gals in that office teaching me as we went along, I would never had made it.

The MT there was on her own with four docs and they then added a PA not long after I came onboard. She often had to have someone come in part time to catch up. She mentored me and because I was going from job to job and not always transcribing, it took quite a while, but she almost made it her mission to make sure I became proficient. The next time she took a week long vacation, I filled her slot. This was about 6 months into my job there.

God bless that woman. I can still type ortho all around and it all started not with that course, but with that gal.

Give the girl a chance. It won't take long to see if she's going to be able to swing it or not.

Good luck.
get up on the wrong side of the bed??
x
the flip side
Be thankful you have the information to verify the correct age. :)
If you can't see the right side of report
Not sure if this is what you mean. If you are typing and cannot see the right side of the report you have typed, try holding down control and at the same time use your scroll button on your mouse. This will make the print appear smaller, does not affect the font at all, and you will be able to see the entire report.
And then there is the flip side - if you have a

It is really hard to find good MTs.  I keep my company very small for that exact reason.  But sometimes even when an MT is really good, they can be lacking in the work ethic department.  I'm talking about MTs who do excellent work.  They have just a couple of very clear, very easy doctors assigned to them, a great line rate (10 cpl), and all they have to do is make sure they get whatever those doctors dictate get done.  And sometimes they do great.  Other times they come up with 101 excuses about why they couldn't get the work back on time.  Or they slack off all week and promise to catch up on the weekend, and then they don't.  Oh, but the same MTs are always asking if they can get another doctor assigned to them, if they can get a raise, if they will be first in line for new accounts coming along.  To which I say:  Get a clue!  Do the work you are assigned and do it on time and THEN ask me about raises and more work.  I don't particularly like having to either assign the work that doesn't get done to another MT on the weekend or having to do it myself on the weekend to get caught up because some MT who has a gravy account won't even keep up with that.


Please, don't anyone email asking for work, as I am not hiring and if I were in a position to I would come here first and ask for help.  I'm just venting because I don't understand having such an easy account and doing excellent work and then on the other hand slacking off and letting it get behind, and then having the nerve to ask for more work/more money.  If I am going to have to type it myself on the weekend, I might as well get rid of said MT and type the gravy account myself during the week!   


one side of headphones
I had this happen using dictaphone and tapes. I bought several sets of stereo earbuds and only one side would work.
one side working
Probably true that it may be time for a new one, but I have a relatively new one and it does the same thing. I disconnect the ear piece completely and reattach it. Sometimes it just comes a little loose and needs to be shoved tighter into place. It just looses its connection.
I'm on the flip side of this...sm
As some others have posted, we MTs get the shaft too. I've applied for and gotten several positions in the last decade, only to have been lied to once I accept them.

I have been an MT for 15+ years, but unfortunately have limited experience because I've only worked in a few specialites. I've been hired by companies to work in my specialty fields, but when the time comes, they want me to do something else. I don't want to be a newbie learning all new things this late in my career. I know that limits me, but there has got to be somebody out there who needs my specific skills and wants a good reliable MT.

I have worked for a huge national for the last 12 years and it was comfy and cozy while we had the smaller offices and my manager knew me and my dedication and appreciated my work, but since we have expanded nationally now, I've lost that manager and have become a number like all the other MTs in the company.

Nobody there now knows that I have never missed a day (or even an hour) of work in all that time without calling in with prior notice and get permission. I've always worked overtime when needed to keep an account in turnaround, and have done many, many things for this company in the early days that I was happy to do even though I didn't get paid for it, like mentoring new MTs... and again, nobody in the company today knows that about me anymore, and no one would listen to me if I could tell them.

I would love to work for an MTSO such as you or the above poster... I'll bet you know the names of your MTs at least.

I feel your pain and frustration also. When I was mentoring new MTs I could see in some of them exactly what you are talking about and I politely tried to steer them away from this field if they weren't going to be serious about it... some stuck it out and became good MTs and others passed on the career when they found out they were expected to work. Unfortunately today we don't have mentors to teach new MTs how to learn and work, to sort of weed out the slackers,... so that's what we're getting. They don't know any better because no one has told them what this job entails, only that they can work from home in their spare time in their jammies and be with their kids, and that's all they know about the job.

I know that there are many slacker MTs out there, but there are also some dedicated and hard working ones too, so please don't lump us all into that first category just as you don't want us to lump your wonderful companies into the categories of the liers and non-payers, etc.

We both have to kiss a lot of toads before we find our prince, be it a good MT or a good company.

I wish you luck in your searh for a good MT.
Boy did we get out on the wrong side of the bed??
Talk about being sensitive
and in all fairness, that's just one side of it, the other...
can be found at the aforementioned site above in the 'see inside' post.
work on the side $$

I don't know at the moment who she used before, if she did at all.  In the event that's the case,  I would appreciate any suggestions beforehand.


Thanks.


work on the side
I work for the Q.  I still welcome and appreciate any suggestions and input.  Thanks.
work on the side
Actually, I was hoping for input on both rate suggestions from those currently doing it, and also lines/characters vs page rates.  I've never explored line count on XP.  Not sure where it is.
just a side note, i came from MQ to MDI
and having learned DQS, you will find Bayscribe probably a 10-minute learning curve !!
Ridiculously easy!
Actually that's on the higher side for
x
I used to work for a doc on teh side and
when that happened I charged an extra 5 cpl because of having to search the tapes, but that was written in my contract.
Now that I'm on the other side of the QA debate

I can totally understand why so many people gripe about QA on these boards. 


When I was doing QA, I tried really hard to be fair, and to not nitpick every little thing.


Now that I'm back to just doing MT, I am really starting to dislike some QA people.  So I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all the stuff I said before, sticking up for QA in general because I see now that there are a lot of horrid QA people. 


 


The flip side....sm
Computerized medical records will contain (actually, embrace) dictated reports. Handwritten notes will eventually go away.

My guess is that we'll probably see many more ancillary caregivers (like physical and respiratory therapists, etc.) dictating notes that they currently write by hand in the chart.

A different scenario, of course, is that these notes will be created using VR and/or "boilerplate" templates with "point-and-click" or "fill-in-the-blanks" capabilities.

We'll just have to see how this plays out, but it isn't a foregone conclusion that the EMR will result in transcription job loss by any means.
Hey, look on the bright side, you don't
have it as hard as I do. me and my husband rake in $70,000 per year and have our own insurance. We can't have children and can't afford IVF, and insurance will not pay. We can't adopt due to my medical condition. If I didn't have to pay so much tax to support lazy-butt mooches who have kids they (knowingly) can't afford to feed, then maybe I could afford the joy of children you seem to take for granted and fail to be thankful for. So yeah, bow down and pray and be thankful for hardworking people like me who suffer to finance the bloated government bureaucracy that supports you. You wanted our opinions, and that's mine. Suck it up.
and with AHDI on our side
we can soon to expect to make LESS than the average McD's worker.  B-e-a-utiful!
and with AHDI on our side
and vigilantly watching out for all MTs, we can soon to expect to make LESS than the average McD's worker.  B-e-a-utiful!