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well, years prior, they sent pens and clocks..nm

Posted By: that didn't work so YEAH it was NICE! on 2006-05-26
In Reply to: Is it really a gift when you have to compete for it? Nonsense. - I have to question




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think.....many years of MTg prior....sm

I started MTg in 1984 and by 1997 I opened up my own little MTSO business.  I believe the level of self confidence plays a huge part.  All I did was make up business cards and I went and solicited myself in medical centers weekly.  I also brought a resume just in case they wanted to see one (that was rare that they wanted to see a resume in my experience).  I only solicited the fields I was very familiar with and got a pediatric and adult neurosurgeon, 2 plastic surgeons, and 2 neurologists right off the bat.  I keep ledgers and used to do microsoft Excel (which I no longer do the latter). 


Regardless of what the other poster said, I do print for the private MDs, sometimes on my plain Xerox paper, other times on their letterhead, and I give them free paper and free delivery.  Most MDs want to see something for free.  I give them their headers for free as it's only 2 Keystrokes for me on a 5-line header.  I have kept my doctors for 10 years now and they appear very happy to me.  I give them 24-48 hour TAT (turnaround time) without fail.  When I go on vacation (early autumn) they usually go at the same time.  I never have to farm my work out, I simply juggle my days around.


And to cap it off, I then moonlight for a national for 3-day weekends!!  I love that too because it's always a NEW learning experience for me and I polish up my knowledge of all the other fields that I do not do during the week.


BEST OF LUCK.  If I could do it and be a success, I believe most self-confident people can do the same!! 


 


I have been at the same company for 6 years, prior to this job

was at the same company for 8 years.  I left company #1 because they lost the account to MQ and the company only had clinic work after that and I do acute care and didn't want to do clinic.  While searching for another job I tested and was offered positions by 6 companies.  I took PT positions with 3 of them.   I had been using a C-phone with a small local and really had no clue about other companies.   One job I kept for 1 year until they got rid of my account because they were such a pain.   I quit one after 4 months. 


I know someone who had 7 jobs in 1 year and that was only about 8 months into the year.   She was a CMT and wanted the whole world to know it and treat her special, but the quality of her work was very poor.  I don't know if she voluntarily left all those positions or was let go.   When I was testing I was trying to get a feel for what was out there and thinking that company #2 might offer me better than what company #1 was paying.   While this wasn't that long ago, it was when you could still get a decent line rate and I never heard of offshoring.  


 


 


I thought they can only audit you or send you a tax bill 2 years prior. It is now 2006 - the 2 year
I may be wrong here - maybe it is 3 years, but I thought the law changed and it was 2 years. Check into it.
Two alarm clocks for me
I set two.  I felt horrible oversleeping one day and my daughter was at school waiting for me to pick her up.  It only happened once, but she told me she thought I wasn't going to pick her up and she was crying....
Not sure, but I think there are online punch clocks. nm
x
If it were me, I would use up the PTO prior to the transition. sm
I have lost mine in the past. 
screen prior
I would say something like I would like to ask ome questions prior to sending in a resume and testing as I feel this saves time on both sides. A concern is:     _____  and also the low rates offered and the formula used to figure the payrate. Get it out of the way, don't waste time, some are down to 4 and 5 cents/line for MTs.  Less than 10 is not acceptable and even with that, it sure is not good by the time you figure the hourly rate and just what skill is expected/given and under what terms, I have seen 99.5 accuracy expected. When these bad terms are turned down by the MTs it will not turn around. 
Well, unfortunately they do not have a test that you can take prior to the first

drink that tells you if you are or are not an alcohol.  Unfortunately, many people don't realize their disease until it is too late and many people drink "socially" so who is to know what is and what is not going to happen in the future?  As far as AIDS being 100% preventable, I will agree to the point that protected sex is most certainly the responsibility of the individual, but how many people have protecetd sex with their longterm partners not expecting them to be unfaithful or someone who has contracted an illness in ways where they were not resposible?fever


 


Unfortunately, it is people who judge that keep people who are sick from getting help.  Of course, that does not apply to everyone and mental illness also plays a part in many illnesses, but as a recovering alcoholic I can say that I graduated with an MBA, PTA President for many years, and had no hereditary factors in my life to foresee the possibility of alcoholism to prevent it.  Fortunately for me, I was made aware of my disease and have done everything to prevent a relapse - something I have been successful at for 12 years.  However, I do believe that when people are judge as harshly as you seem to judge, they will more than likely succumb to the label you have given them. 


 


May God bless you!


like i said in prior post the big "J"
/
Prior MT..BS.Ed...job opportunities?
Thinking of returning to the MT field. Little background: I'm currently teaching high school, Bachelor of Science in Ed. I was a MT off and on for 12 years prior to starting my teaching job 2.5 yrs ago, almost all of that experience in a hospital, one year with WebMedx at the end. I also did IC here and there locally. Not sure teaching HS is for me, LOL. But I hate to waste my degree too...are there trainer jobs? Should I look into QA or editing? Am I being completely silly for re-thinking my MT career?? I miss the medical community, have been a part of it for most of my adult life. I enjoy the education aspect, just not sure HS is the right fit. Any suggestions appreciated! Thanks :D
Did you work for MQ prior to...
working for this new company?
RESPONSE TO PRIOR POST

The link is not working for me, you can access it at:


www.presstelegram.com/news/ci/_12022094


Well That's IT! Lifeguarding will be mandatory prior to being an MT! Hahahahah!
NM
That thought crossed my mind prior...LOL..nm
x
Prior wedding inquiry update...sm

 Previously I had posted on this board  as my fiance and I were trying to figure out how to handle letting people know that we don't want any wedding gifts (we each have a house and don't need material things as we're giving away tons of stuff with merging the home) but had chosen a charity for anyone who would like to make a donation in our honor.


 My maid of honor and a couple of friends decided to host a party for us and on the invitations put on there that in lieu of gifts that we were requesting donations to a children's charity that we chose because of the reputation of spending the money wisely  and being well known for its work.  


This has gone over very well with the invitees.  I've had many of them call and e-mail me or my fiance saying that they thought this was a wonderful way for us to help others less fortunate and yet celebrate our upcoming marriage.   The charity  agreed prior to our announcement to not pester these people afterwards with mailings and is simply sending those that send a donation a thank you card, and then they're sending me a weekly list showing who made a donation and their address, but not the dollar amount as I don't care to know what they gave. 


So... for future brides that don't want gifts  I suggest doing what we did - it's a win for the charity and lets the family/friends that wanted to do something special do this in a way that we chose (and we aren't stuck with household items we don't want or need!)


can't find prior post answer
I read a post awhile back about fast dictators and the settings for Express scribe to slow them down without distorting the voice but I can't find it now. Can anyone help?
Link is under response to prior post
nm
I worked on INET prior to DQS on the same account which was switched to DQS.
You absolutely w/o question need DSL or cable to work on DQS. The searches and the downloads take FOREVER with dial up on DQS.

I lost money on line count on DQS. Same account different line counts per hour. Lots of people have had the same loss. No one, but no one has increased line count on DQS from INET.
Prior to posting here, this is what I found on Wikipedia and why I assumed it was, if not offensive,

From Wikipedia, searching the term Oriental. See what I have bolded and underlined.


Perceptions and connotations



[edit] American English


Controversy surrounds connotations of the term in American English. (See also American and British English differences.) According to Abdurrahman R. Squires, "politically correct terms have taken the place of the word 'Orientalism'".[2]


While a number of reference works used in the United States describe Oriental as pejorative, antiquated or offensive in some instances, the American Heritage Book of English Usage notes that



It is worth remembering, though, that Oriental is not an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. It is most objectionable in contemporary contexts and when used as a noun, as in the appointment of an Oriental to head the commission. In these cases Asian (or a more specific term such as Vietnamese, Korean, or Asian American, if appropriate) is the only acceptable term. But in certain historical contexts, or when its exotic connotations are integral to the topic, Oriental remains a useful term.[3]

Random House's Guide to Sensitive Language states "Other words (e.g., Oriental, colored) are outdated or inaccurate." This Guide to Sensitive Language suggests the use of "Asian or more specific designation such as Pacific Islander, Chinese American, [or] Korean." [4] Merriam-Webster describes the term as "sometimes offensive,"[5] Encarta states when the term is used as a noun it is considered "a highly offensive term for somebody from East Asia." [6]


58, AHP/self-taught, trained at hospital 5 years, now with 2 of my own accounts for 10 years, employ
Also worn out 2 keyboards in 4 years. I will never retire. DH will come home some day from work and I'll be slumped over my keyboard. I put in 14 hours a day 7 days a week.
Pack years = packs smoked per day x years of smoking - sm
25 pack-years = 25 years of 1 pack a day, or 12-1/2 years of 2 packs a day.

I don't think pack-years applies to someone who smokes only cigars. But I don't know for sure.
I worked for Cbay for 3 years. I was also part of their lay off back many years ago. sm
Even though I got stuck in a lay off era, I still love the company. They paid well then. The people were nice (exception of 1 person) and if I had the opportunity I would go back again. Fortunately (or unfortunately - depending on how u look at it), I have a great paying job right now, so I am not looking for a change. I do know that at one time, they asked management to accept late paychecks, but never sure of the reason why. My check was never late.
I know it used to be 5-10 years back, but the laws changed within the last 2 years. They can only g
x
6 years legal then switched to medical 17+ years ago. sm

I don't mind doing legal and will do it now from time to time, but be prepared to be totally bored out of your mind.


At least that's the way I feel.  I love to transcribe, learned legal in college, went on to get my paralegal degree, etc., etc., but I did temp work when the kids were younger, which was about 90% medical and I would never go back to legal except for once in a while.


Booooooring.


 


 


Only 3 years away from reaching total years for retirement
but if I had to do this and raise a family, would feel exactly like you do. The pay is terrible compared to what I used to make. I work 32 hours a week, hope to be able to continue even after full retirement age. I have worked on VR now and unless places get to where they really do not care about how their reports look, think they will need MTs. I very seldom do a report and it is 100%, just cannot remember 1 like that and most take a lot more editing. Working now because want to, not have to anymore, thank goodness!!
I dumped my ex 20 years ago, but got lucky 13 years ago

It would take me all night and pages and pages to describe what a bad person my ex-husband was.  After six years of putting up with his OCD, verbal abuse and alcohol, I left him the house, took the kids (5 and 1) and didn't look back. That was 20 years ago.


I wasn't looking to get married again, but I did.  After 13 years I only complain when hubby doesn't see things my way. :) 


My older kids, who were 5 and 1 when I left, are married and have kids of their own now.  My husband gets the Father's Day cards.  Their "real" father sits alone in the perfect little house I left behind and let him have and he drinks himself into oblivion every night because nobody is "perfect" enough, including his kids and his grandkids that he never sees. 


Sad, but true.  So glad I smartened up and got  out of there when I did.


We have been supporting other countries for years and years now.
What is the big deal.  Look at your clothes, cars, items in your house.  You will see mostly China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan etc., etc.  We have not supported our own people like we should have for years now!!!!
Only 2 in 13 years for me. First Edix for 8 and now Webmedx for nearly 5 years. nm
.
When I trained, back years and years ago
We did not have spell checking nor the internet (Google for instantaneous help). OMG, how did we do it? We used Correcting Selectrics with the lift-off tape to correct errors- you only had dictionaries, both English and medical, to look up things so yes we did have to learn to spell all those big longgggggggggg words.
MT: 24 years. Same company: 11 years same co. after buyout.
x
Grammar Question: 9 years' ago or 9 years ago? *sm*
I have a terrible time trying to remember this rule! HELP!
Worked inhouse for years and years
Inhouse transcription from 1973 to approximately 1992 and we had no downtime for answering the phones and when the physicians came into the room (or others) needing some assistance, just part of the job. I did not feel bad about doing it then and I dont see why you would either. You don’t realize that probably you are making right now more than if you are outsourced, right? You have hourly salary plus incentive. Guess how many of us have that now? Probably inevitable about outsourcing so I would say just enjoy while you can. The pay our here now sinks further and further. I make, for instance, 4 cents a line for voice recognition and 8 for straight. Now, more complaining?
19 years old...married 26 years. nm
n
they've been doing this for years and years (nm)

IMHO


People have been saying that for years and years - SM

however, I am working fewer hours and making more money. I think maybe the answer here is working as an IC for a one-owner company. MTSO was an MT for many years and she knows the secret to making lots of $ is putting your MTs doing what they do best and leaving them alone.


I don't think it is the "national" part of services that hurts. I think the low wages can be gauged by the number of suits in the company. More suits = less $.


And why pay QA? Just hire people experienced/good enough to do the work correctly the first time.


I have been doing Radiology only the last two years after several years (sm)
of acute care. I love it and find it easier although not as interesting as acute care. I was told by those who hired me that a good medical Transcriptionist will be able to do Radiology even with no experience in it. There are some specialized terms but easy to learn. I would never go back to acute care unless there were very good dictators and good sound quality.
30 (!) years; OTJ (don't think there were schools 30 years ago) nm
:)
Years ago it was 7 years. Not certain as to status now.

10 years here, too, and making 8.4....same as i was 5 years ago. nm
f
Shame on me.. Am I the only one with 4+ in 2 years, but with my last one 2 years.

Lots of little "stints" in between, just trying to keep my head above water.


24 years MT, 7.5 years with the same hospital nm.
x
22 years, same company 10 years nm
nm
32 years, longest was 28 years at same co. (nm)
*
28 years, 9 years at 1 hospital..sm

9 years at one hospital, 8 years with 2 services, then went out on my own (11 years ago) and got a bunch of surgeons and I moonlight on weekends for a national (9 years with national). 


If I knew what I know today, with how the MT business has gone down $$-wise for us over 20+ years, if I had my druthers and could start over again, I would have stayed with CODING/BILLING instead of MT work (though I love MT work) as billing/coding is still lucrative in this country....


just my 3 cents


32 years, 18 years at hospital...
7 at Medquist, 7 at Spheris. Starting at Transtech Medical tomorrow.
Do you need to have 2 years full time experience or just 2 years' experience? nm
..
49 years old/self taught/daughter 20 years old/self taught. I'm a CMT, and daughter is studying t
take the test soon.
I know I'm old - 30+ years as well
but I do remember specifically being told "double".  Maybe there is something to the reason being that they used to "talk good."
I'm going on 35 years of doing this

and I try to keep my goals realistic dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, etc.  I don't like to see a minimum of 200 lines/hour; occasionally can reach nearly 300 lph but depends on the dictators.  Seems the account I do now mostly has dictators from India, the ones I dislike the most.  I love Russians, Japanese, Germans, French, etc., etc., but for some reason I find the Indian accent very difficult!!!! 


I, like you, do not use expanders or "normals" etc., mostly because I'm from the old school and I type every word.  I'm sure if I used some of the crutches I could easily reach 275 to 350 lines/hour, maybe more who knows!  I keep telling myself one day I'll relearn how to do all that but right now, I don't care....when the time is right I'll know.  Mainly I just keep trying not to stress myself out too much.  I've put in my time and paid my dues and do a great job.  I'm not a young chick anymore and don't expct myself to produce these huge line counts, but believe me, I know I could if that was my wish!!!  Don't worry.....Be happy!


My Dad is gone now 10 years....
The last present he brought for me was an anniversary clock which I placed on my fireplace mantel in the center....Well that's Dad's spot because whenever I move that clock to any other spot it stops working, but the moment I place it in "the spot" it works immediately.  My youngest daughter was almost 2 when my Dad died.   After his death she would wake up and tell me "Grandpop was here last night"....I know my Dad comes around many times.  
18 years.
nm