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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

60 days is too long even for me

Posted By: aa on 2006-01-11
In Reply to: NEED HELP! - NEW GRADUATE

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Thank you all. I will give it a few more days
I will call them.  I still feel really uneasy, but maybe this is just the way it is.  I'm too much of a newbie to know any better!  Thanks!
A Few Days Late?

My Discover Card was billed for the first payment on August 10th.  I finally received a dictionary on September 8th - nothing else - no study aids -  just a dictionary.  I authorized the charges for the foot-pedal and CDs on August 17th.  I still have not received them.  So after 10 emails and several phone calls, and the 4th week since I paid for the second part of the materials, "a few days" is not an accurate depiction of their shipping practice.  As for Carol, she writes short, precursory responses to questions - I'm not quite sure why you're singing her praises over that.  I've gotten too many responses from students who have had my experience - not yours.  Several said that they never even received the certificate after completing the course.  So, good for you - but don't criticize others for telling the truth about their experiences.  Last time I looked, there was free speech in this country.  The VLC erases grades when someone speaks out.


What hours/days are you available. sm
Please email me with your the above info and where you received your education.
Ha! Some days are less productive
than others. He has times where he plays by himself. We also have a swing. Other times he just sits on my lap and we deal with it. I love nap time! Thankfully, my husband is in school and is home during some of the day to watch him.
Why the gross is 2 days before . . .
You may very well be missing something, and that something is the date the gross exam was done.

If they did not tell you, then you would have no way to know when it occurred.

Here's what happens. A specimen (biopsy, some organ removed at surgery, etc.) arrives in pathology. The pathologist looks at the specimen, describes what he sees, and then slices it up into pieces small enough for processing. That is the "gross exam." He dictates this. It's transcribed with that date.

After the tissue has been processed in the lab and slides prepared, the pathologist looks at the slides. This is the "microscopic exam." He dictates his impression and it is transcribed with THAT date.

In actual practice, you would not know the date of dictation unless you saw it somewhere. It's either on the tape or on the dictation system.

In your example, it looks as though the gross was dictated and transcribed on the 5th, two days before the microscopic was dictated and transcribed on the 7th.

This was a good question. It shows attention to detail, which is a good trait. Rest assured that there is nothing in MT -- no rules, no fancy calculations -- for determining dates of dictation or transcription. You just use whatever the dates actually are, and someone has to tell you what they are in order for you to know.

Redpen
Andrews School


work for MTSO as an IC - days
nm
From my typing school days
I recall learning that a word consists of five characters, spaces, symbols, etc., so it seems to me that they are asking for a 65-character line rate.
and yes, my children go with me to pick up tapes on their off days from MMO...nm

That company that asked you what days/hours
As an independent contractor, a company cannot dictate your days/hours unless they "employ" you.  Glad it works for you!  However, the IRS does not see it that way.  You are providing a service whether it is transcribing or building a brick wall.  They can guide you with what tools to use, how they want the job accomplished, and for that matter in regards to time constraints, but they cannot have you punch a time clock.  With that said, I also IC for a company that requires 24-hour turnaround, which I am willing to accept as "part of the business".  In this business, the vast majority of companies gain these accounts for you and I to work on by providing 24-hour turnaround.  Most companies will train you on their equipment if you do not have experience.  They will provide samples of reports if you are not meeting QA and also provide input to bring your QA score up to par.  I make my own hours in that I will not say to this company, I'll work, for example, 9a-5p, because there may be days when I cannot do that due to the fact that I have other commitments whether it be with my children or with the fact that I have my own accounts that I need to tend to, which quite frankly is not their business to know.  You are providing a service, which just happens to be transcription.  If this company is getting away with setting your schedule, then you should most definitely be an employee.  That is your choice, however, to allow them to dictate that to you.  Most companies do not pay, as you already know, for your benefits.  Bottom line really is you are a subcontractor.  The MTSO is the contractor actually, and then you subcontract for the contractor.    Thank goodness the company I work for knows the difference. 
I started working from home within 2 days of graduation.
I have been with my same company for coming up on 6 years now. I had some tough days in the beginning, but I dug in, learned as much as I could, and made it through the hardest part. In-house may be better for some starting out, but it worked for me being at home as long as I was willing to work hard. Good luck to you. :-)
I find that lots of companies are using ShortHand these days.
They have a 30-day trial. 
How long did it take you?

How long did it take you to "develop an ear for it"?? i have a test to write in 2 weeks and with this one doc that is on the test, i really don't think that i will be ready!!!


 


Any suggestions???


how long...
I guess that depends on the individual.  I was going to school, working a full-time job, and working with DKM at night and on weekends.  I was pretty slow to start, but had decent typing (WPM).  Some of the docs are tougher than others (including their fields and associated terminology, etc.) and still are.  Sometimes, the audio slows me down.  But, I started in October 2004 and quit my other job in May 2005.  I have been working full-time at home since then.  Each of our docs is different and depending on which one I am working on, my production goes up or down.
How long have you been an MT?

I work the *** account and very few of the doctors have bad accents.  In fact, I think only one is hard to understand and since his stuff is all edit work it isn't that bad.  I actually thought the majority of the work is easy to understand and can get line counts quickly.  If you haven't been an MT for long let me tell you... CHA is an easy account and most others I have worked are much more difficult to understand! 


 


Pay is a bit lower than I'd like, but I'm going to ask about that being changed.


I have always had work and always been paid on time.  They do IM the whole team about the Q being full and needing people to log in and work, if you are already working then just ignore the IMs, I'm sure they aren't intended for those of us working already. 


My understanding from emails lately is that they are having issues with MTs who aren't doing work properly or working their comitted hours/times.  The clients are getting a bit upset about these things. 


I may be leaving, but that is only because I need to find an employee position for the health insurance for my family since my husband is changing jobs in May and will no longer get ins through work. 


I've had no issues with either Rajesh or Laila and both have been helpful and kind to me.  I guess each person is going to have a different experience with each company...


But how long does it take U to do 45 min. job?
x
How Long Did It Take
Shawna , how long did it take you to complete the CS program?
how long
does it typically take to transcribe 500 lines?
How long does it take you to
type one hours' worth of a doctor's dictation?
How long would it take to transcribe
30 minutes of dictation?  I'm taking on a new IC job, and the supervisor asked how many minutes of dictation I would like.  I'm guessing I should start at 30, but I'm not sure about how long that would take.  I've had about 8 months' acute care experience.  I don't want to take on more than I can handle.  Any ideas?  Thanks.
I've done both and all I can say is to think long and
hard before you choose either one. Neither job is all it's cracked up to be once you get to the "real world" of work.
How long to stay with first MT job?

I have a question that I have not really been able to get some sound advice on and was hoping the posters of this board could give me their opions.  I would appreciate any views.


The question is how long would you stay with your first (low paying) MT job?  I am starting to make some fair money now, but am spending 12+ hours per day to do it, which actually comes out pretty low per hour.   While I do appreciate the opportunity to be working right after training, I also feel limited by not having two year's worth of experience yet to try to move on.  Most places seem to prefer MTs with at least the two years experience.  On the other hand, I am getting very good work experience where I am and do not run out of work.  I can't keep up this particular pace forever for what I am earning overall.  Would you wait out two years for the experience?


How long is it taking all new MTs
I have been at this job for almost three months and I have yet to rest the goal everyday in one week.  I can't wait until my little ones are in daycare/school again!
Are you at the current doc's office all day long? sm
I was thinking that if he wants you to transcribe from his office, could you get that done in a couple of hours, and then go home to work from there? I started my "home work" with one doc. She raved about me so much that all her doc friends called me to get me to work for them. Sit down with your doc and feel him out. He could be a real help to you! Good luck!
How long did it take you to finish MTEC?nm
nm
Some advice on becoming an MT. See long message.
First, you MUST have excellent grammer, spelling and listening skills. Without these, don't bother. You won't be a success.

Transcription is not something you can do in your spare time. It is a very demanding profession. If you work as an independent contractor (IC), you set the amount of time you want to work, but your paycheck is dependent upon how much work you do. If you are not a fast typist, your hourly pay will be low. I think the average MT does around 150 lines per hour. At 8 cents per line, that's $12 an hour. This is just AVERAGE pay.

If you are an IC, you will usually have no benefits. No insurance, no paid time off, all taxes come out of your check. If you work as an employee, you will have to keep a schedule, and usually a minimum line per hour to stay employed.

Becoming an MT requires a lot of training. You are going in the right direction with a nationally approved school. One of the three will give you a better chance at a job if you graduate with high marks. But even after school, it can take up to 3 years to become fully trained and making "good" money, which runs between the $12-$18 per hour range. It is a big time investment.

My advice is call Career Step. I believe Andrews and MTEC will counsel you extensively before they will accept you, to make sure you really understand what you are getting into. I hope Career Step does the same, but I haven't heard as much about them.

It is a tough field, and not going to get any easier, although I still think it is a great profession. You have to look at all the aspects before you decide if it's for you. Call the school. In fact, I would make a list of questions and call all three schools. They can probably help you better than any of us can.

Best of luck on whatever you decide to do.
Distance learners--how long did it take to graduate?
I am enrolled in a program right now that is supposed to take 9 months, but I am now on my 14th month (I think I am close to graduation now). I was just curious as to how long it has taken others to graduate who took MT distance learning courses. Thank you.
Lots of stress and long hours doing MT especially - sm
when you are first starting out. If you have to live on this, then in the beginning it is not a good choice. But if you are married and have a spouse income to live on and yours is just supplemental then that will work. When I first started 5 years ago I made $5K the first year, granted that was PT but I worked FT hours basically. I still work PT but practically FT, 30+ hours a week. I made about $16k this in 2006. Now I am not a fast typist (100-160 lph depending on dictator), and I find it hard to sit here and type for a solid 6 hours so I get easily distracted and goof off instead of working or else I am sure I could do $20K+ easy as I have more good than bad dictators. But some companies have mostly ESL and it is very hard to make money that way especially starting out. So many factors factor into to your income, your ability and typing speed, the ease of dictators, and if you can be dedicated and not get distracted. Obviously the more you can dedicate yourself and work consistently the more money you can make, just depends on your personal goals. Good Luck.
Or not so much stress or long hours, decent pay
I totally understand what you're saying, but being an MT varies so much based on what you bring to the job, where you work, and what kind of account you have that it's pretty tough to predict how any particular person will do. I'm very happy with my job. I find it to be the least stressful job I've ever had, love the predictable hours, and made 34K this last year working strictly a 40-hour week. This is after 1-1/2 years as an MT. I found the first 6 to 9 months terribly stressful because of the high learning curve, but once I settled into my account the stress level dropped considerably. I'm still working the same hospital account I started on, but also work other accounts as necessary. I work for a company that many people on this board say they can't make any money working for; it must have a lot to do with the stability I've had on my account that I am able to make reasonably decent money.
I also agree that there will be jobs for a long time. sm
Been doing this for 18+ years. You won't get rich, but you can make a decent living, at least as much as you would make on most secretarial or retail jobs, once you get the training. I make around $24,000 a year, but I don't push like I used to. I could make more teaching, have the qualifications, but nothing in the world would make me face that. It's a nightmare.

There will be decent jobs in transcription or editing for years, but not the gravy some of us are used to. Just a decent wage, probably average $12-18 an hour from now on, hope it doesn't drop lower. I don't think things are going to be too rosy in many other fields either, so I'll stay where I am until I'm ready to retire. JMO.
As long as you're posting links, how about this one from Berkley
especially where it shows US MT hourly wage at $13.17 and Indian MT hourly wage at $1.50-$2.00. With $11 an hour savings you can hire a lot of QA'ers and still make a killing!
Does anyone know how long it takes for tests to be graded at MediVoxx or OSI?

I recently tested at both companies and am beginning to wonder how long this process takes. While I am waiting for their replies, if anyone could tell me of other corporations that hire new MTs I would appreciate it.  


 


How long have you been away? Might need a refresher course from a local college or business school.
s
Trust me, I've been doing this a long time and I still make stupid little mistakes.
Nothing is worse than being started on a new account, being under QA, and have them point out all of your mistakes. You start feeling incompetent so believe me when I say your mistakes and errors do not go away completely, no matter how long you've been at this. I am beginning to believe no one is perfect all of the time and should feel better about it than I have when I screw up. Just believe in yourself..and everyone else will too.