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Depends too on how much repetition the reports have, sm

Posted By: JoV on 2006-02-01
In Reply to: Pay rate??? - help me!

I think I would like to see and hear samples before I could figure it out. What happens if the tape is 54 minutes...do you carry over the 6 min extra to the next tape? Or is he saying If I give you 3 30 minutes cassettes a week, it's $60, whether they are full or not. Again if he says a bunch of the same stuff, it could be good! Just use the heck out of your word expander. 


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Reports
On average, how many blank spaces does the average entry level MT leave in a report?Anyone!!!!!!!!!
VRA reports

Can anyone tell me exactly what VRA stands for?  I know it is supposed to be voice recognized something, but I have technology stuck in my head and can't get beyond that. Thanks for your help


.


sample reports
Does anyone know of a website that offers a good variety of ortho and/or physical therapy reports?  Most websites I find only have a few, if any.  Much appreciated!
I've also done quite a few reports
But haven't stopped to count them (at least until now LOL). I know in my last lesson there were 7-8 I did, plus partial reports to reinforce terminology, etc. The current lesson I think has that same amount, I preparing for the mail-in test now (yes, it can be e-mailed, I just prefer mail for some archaic reason). I'm just now in lesson 3 of course 3, so I'm right about halfway through I think.
Question about QA reports
I have been working at my first job out of school for about a month now. Just recently, I have noticed that all of my reports are being sent to about 4 different people, including the owner. Is this normal? I have been told I am doing just fine, but it makes me nervous that all of these people are looking at every report I do. I guess it wouldn't bother me if they had done this at the start, but I'm not sure why all of the sudden they are doing this. Maybe I am just being paranoid. Thanks for listening!
maybe your reports are too hard
I am new too, but I know the answer as well. And I just type office notes right now at my first job going on 4 months. Hmmm.
No kidding I did 20 reports tonight SM

I do at least 30 reports per day and usually more like 40 or 50 - they are just office chart notes averaging 1 - 2 minutes per dictation, but still.....


It is really terrible that a school takes advantage of someone like that - I know now how many reports I do in a day, but someone who is not even a student yet and researching schools might not even think to ask how many reports are given for practice. 


20 reports and they consider you an employable transcriptionist?!?!?!?!

.


I recently had missing reports,
but I found out that I had not signed in or out correctly so the reports for that day were not counted in the total "clocked in" amount. They were accounted for and paid, but just did not show when I checked my status. With this company, I have to clock in and out. What got confusing was that sometimes the platform did not ask me to clock in, although I always exited and logged out. Maybe your problem is as simple as mine was, just a thought.


I see you only transcribe 100 reports with that school ...
not nearly enough. Also, the fact that I have been unable to find anyone who has heard of it means that most companies do not hire graduates of that school. JMHO.
Is there a way for you to print sample reports?

I used to print samples when I was a newbie starting out in radiology 19 years ago.  I found that if I did that, and then did handwritten notes on the samples, it made it better.  Put them in a notebook with dividers by either dictator or specialty, account, or whatever makes it easier. 


For some odd reason, I still to this day when learning a new account print out samples and make handwritten notes.  I tend to bring the notebook out, flip it to the dictator I'm working on and it gives me a sense of security. 


I also handwrote (I'm only 37-years-old) drug names on a sheet of paper.  I guess I'm from the old school, but handwriting things made me remember better.  I remember also needing to remember MD or DO for physicians and just as a pick-me-up - there was one his name was First I. Last, D.O., F.A.C.C. and we used to call him DOOFUS (behind his back of course)!!!      Just trying to make you smile! 


It will get better.  You live and learn!!!!  Believe me!!!!  Hang in there! 


what type of reports are you typing?

I do alot of psyche and some of my reports range from 150-450 lines per report.  So when you look at it like that it is not bad.  On the other had if you are doing radiology that would be totally different.  Again some of mines average from 15-30 lines.  That is with a 65 character line. 


Your experience transcribing reports in school
does not count as the type of experience they are looking for. The only way you are going to get a job is to keep testing, and ACE those tests. Eventually someone will offer you a position. That is what I did when I finished school to become an MT. But, you cannot list your *school* experience transcribing as experience when applying for companies because they will not accept that. We were all newbies once and it is a hard field to break in to. Keep applying, sending out your resume, and testing. That's the only way to do it other than trying to get a job at a hospital, clinic, etc. working outside the home.
You can't give an average. Radiology reports
are typically under 10 lines and you can do 100 a day.  I do Op notes for a hospital and can have reports that are 25 minutes long.  I also have a lot of ESLs and if I have a day where I have the really bad ones or the bad American dictators I don't generate as many reports.  If you are doing clinic work you would probably be able to do more reports than acute care, especially if you have the same doctors, because they you could set up macros for them.    I generally do 40 reports a day, have done as few as 28, as many as 72, but that doesn't really tell anyone anything. 
what is the difference between clinic and acute care reports?

----


HIPAA is a joke. These reports go to third world countries. nm
:+
Why doesn't someone give some good reports on other schools
One person on this board constantly rips the so-called Big 3. Instead of doing that, why doesn't she bring some good facts forward about her own school. That would be more productive.
Just keep saving his/her stuff as shortcuts/templates. After about 10 reports, you'll have
s
It depends...SM
I have some very good dictators who dictate in quiet areas, but I have others who dictate from their cell phones, which is horrible.  I also have one who dictates from the cafeteria in a children's residential center with kids screaming and hitting things in the background.  The good news, however, is that after you have done those dictators several times, you begin to understand them even when the sound quality isn't that great.  Don't get discouraged.  You eventually develop an ear for it and can learn to block out the background noise.  Good luck!
It depends on whether
you need to hone your typing skills or not. Knowing your word processor helps a lot. I worked with MSWord for years prior to changing careers. However, my first two employers needed Word Perfect knowledge. Not much difference there. Aside from your typing skills, work on listening skill, too. For me, the toughest was learning the medical terms for each area but you'll get the hang of it.
It depends...

I have made, starting out hourly, about $8 an hour (8 years ago), then started at another hospital 5 years ago, started at 12 something an hour, then we got incentive pay and with incentive sometimes made up to $16 an hour. If you have high line counts you can make 20+ per hour.  But of course also depends on how they calculate a line count......good luck!


It really depends
on the company you work for. If you are just looking for a pedal to do practice work or test files, I recommend an Infinity pedal. I got mine brand new on ebay for about $20.00. It's a 15-pin serial port pedal and works great with Express Scribe. But each company has different requirements, so if you haven't gotten a job yet, just remember that you may have to purchase another pedal to meet their requirements (that will work with their software).
depends who else wants the job

if experienced people are getting 7, you probably won't have a chance.


It depends on why you want to do MT...
There are lots of changes in the field right now. Many are just trying to hold on until retirement. Some believe jobs will always be there. It is a good job if you want to work from home. It is not a good job if you hope to become rich or if you are not self-motivated. Think about it and decide if it is for you or not.
Depends.
Some doctors will never be voice recognized because they are terrible dictators. If you get onto an established account, then you will have less typing but you will never have 100% editing.
Depends on the MT - 1.5 hr to 3, 4,
It varies with the MT and with the dictator. Very experienced MTs might take only 1.5 hours. Others might take 2-3 hours. New MTs might take more, and student MTs might take . . . days.

If there is a lot of material in the 1 hour's worth of dictation, then it will take longer. If there is a lot of dead air, it might be possible to transcribe it in an hour flat.
Depends on if you want a job or not.
If you need to work at home and want to get a job right out of school, there are only two reliable choices, Andrews or MTec.

Read the archives. Look at the numbers of people who complain about not being able to get a job after graduating. It's not because there are no jobs -- jobs in MT go begging. It's not because they're stupid, either. It's because only two schools teach MT effectively enough to virtually guarantee you a job. They cost more for a reason--they have hgh-quality programs with instructors.

National services will test and hire their grads without hesitation, and those grads invariably get up to speed quickly and make it past the 2-3 month point of employment.



I think that depends on the company

I think some companies but a time frame on when  you can test again if you do not do well the first time.  Good luck


Depends on how fast you are...sm

I would hazard a guess that a beginning MT, working on a new account alone at home, with unfamiliar words, having to re-listen, research, might make...mmm $4 an hour?  That's why experience is so valuable.


depends upon the company

The company I'm an IC with is located in CA but I live in TN. Since I've had a problem with my sleep for *years,* it was an ideal situation in terms of what accounts to put me on. I'm in charge of H&Ps on three specific accounts. They need the reports by 6 a.m. their time, which is 8 a.m. my time. No problem. It's rare for me to sleep until 4:45 a.m. Usually, I'll get up around 2:30 to 3 p.m. I just go back to sleep for a few hours when the morning rush is done. My work day ends by 4 p.m. my time, which is 2 p.m. their time.


depends on the hospital
There is hospital near me who will take on beginning MT's who have typing and medical terminology skills. They work with you for up to a year before you go on your own. They pay about $11.75 an hour to start. But, then there is another hospital that requires years of experience. You need to check with you local hospitals to see what their requirements are.
depends on how much schooling they go for

After high school, go into the armed forces or live at home for a while with mom and dad.


Same to be said for most 2-year associates degree.


After BS degree, probably can find something to sustain independent living.  Absolutely after a masters.  Pick of your field with a PhD.


That is today's reality.  Don't just wait for your kids to finish high school.  I would recommend (and probably get kicked around for saying so) taking the kids to Belgium to finish schooling is much better and if they finish in the top percentiles, their college education is also free.  Belgium kids routinely score 40% higher than their US equivalents on the very (repeat very) same tests.  My nephew's presence in the US Marines was welcomed after he finished his education there.  Knowing 3-4 languages fluenty in our global economy is nothing to sneeze at.  If you really wants you kids to succeed and don't want to leave the US, then teach them different languages to speak and the earlier in life it is started, the easier for them to learn.  Translation is going to be a necessity for doing most things in another 10 years.


It depends on the training...
that the new MT has. With proper training, it wouldn't be a problem. If you are trying to do the job without the proper training, it is much more difficult.
It depends on a LOT of things.
Have you systematically inundated companies with your resume? And what's your resume like? Is it EXCELLENT? Does it show the employer all the specialties you've learned? Does it show other experience that might be helpful, such as working at home in a home business (many employers wonder how you will handle being at home) or general transcription, etc.? Are you keeping HIGHLY accurate records of all the places you've applied to and following up with thank you notes even with the places that won't hire you? Have you reapplied after not hearing from them in a couple of weeks? Have you networked on different chat groups with other MTs? Have you placed your resume on any of the sites that take MT resumes (including this one)? What exactly have you done? We need more information!
Just depends on who you talk to
When you select a school, be sure to enroll in a program that can offer you some job support or a program like Career Step's Spheris Training Track, which can lead directly to employment. Maybe other schools have something similar. Just be really clear about what your school will provide you with when you start your job search. Some schools don't offer any support whatsoever. There are companies who hire beginners. New grads get jobs every single day. I haven't graduated yet, but I know that though sometimes it takes a while to get that first job, almost everyone at my school who has wanted a job upon graduation has found one within a couple of months, and high honors grads usually get multiple offers.
Buy Olympus DS-2. Then it depends if

you want it to be completely automated or the front desk have to drop and drag. If you want it automated, go to DocShuttle's web site and look at their DocShuttle Administrator, Dictator and Client. If you will be the only transcriptionist, then look at their Eshuttle Email program, same site. Otherwise, you can set up an FTP site and then use a free ftp software, like ftpsurfer. The front desk can drop and drag the files up to the ftp site.


Email me if you have any more specific questions... but it sounds like Eshuttle would do it.


Not a rumor ... it depends ...
If you are an employee at a company that offers benefits, then you get them. If you are an independent contractor or subcontractor, you don't.

So if you need health insurance or other benefits, you have to be an employee and work for a company that supplies benefits.
Depends on a lot of things
Depends on how long you have been working as an IC, do you have a husband that works and has taxes withheld, what deductions you have as an IC, combined income, etc.  My best adcive is that if this is your first year as an IC, to go to an account with your last year's taxes, your husband's (if you are married) last pay check stub, a report of what you have made year to date and what your expenses have been and get some advice.  Do not wait until after the first of the year when they are so busy.  But for the first year talk to an accountant, pay $50 to $100 for some advice.  They are not as busy right now and it could be cheaper than if you wait until the first of the year.  Or else, get a copy of Turbo tax and try to do your taxes even it if is based on last year's program and that will tell you what you need.   If you are married and have trouble putting aside money, I suggest you have your husband up his withholding, it is easier that way.  E-mail me with questions and I will try and answer for you.  Patti
It all depends on how well you can understand
the dictators and how good you are at proofreading. I have been editing for a long time, and even with a lot of experiences I have some really low line days, and I get paid by the line.

Take this into consideration: How fast you are and how accurate you are equals how many lines a day you can proof. How much do they pay per line versus hourly. It is pretty easy to determine.
Depends on the company
I have a part time that requires 2500 per week part time and two that have no requirement. I generally do 2000+ lines per day with them all combined.
It depends on where you went to school.
If you graduated from one of the AAMT-approved schools, some companies will waive the 2-3 years experience. I received my first job offer before I even graduated and I am starting with a second company in a couple of weeks.

If you graduated elsewhere, you may have more luck looking for in-house work at local hospitals or clinics.

Good luck!

It depends on where she wants to work.
If she wants to work locally, then a local college program would be best. But if she wants to work online for a national, most of them do not recognize local college MT programs. She would want to use a reputable online school like Andrews or M-Tec (and NOT one of the cheaper schools).
Depends on the company
It is harder to get a raise with one of the big nationals. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to ask. Talk to your supervisor and give her the reasons you feel you deserve a raise. List your good qualities such as dependability or good grammar skills. You have a 50/50 chance! Good luck to you.
I think it also depends no where you work
When I worked as an IC, I ran out of work and I also had days where I had very sporadic work which didn't help my paycheck. Now that I'm an employee at a local nephrology clinic, I never run out of work, sometimes I have too much work, and I there is ever a day when the doctors aren't working, I still get paid for an 8 hour day. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. After reading some of the horror stories, I consider myself lucky.
It depends on a lot of factors.

I charge 13.5 cpl, but I do everything digitally.  I do not pick up tapes or print out documents.  If I did, my rate would be much higher.  I also have a very long TAT.  For shorter TATs, I charge more.  Also, consider your cost of living.  If you live in a high-cost area, you should charge more. 


Good luck.


I think it depends on where you work
I work from home locally and I get yearly raises.
Depends on the situation

Usually they lump clients together regarding the software that will work with stuff on their end.  So all the clients that use (as an example) Lanier and Meditech will go on the "L" platform, and people with experience with those systems will get assigned to that platform and trained on it.


Or it could have to do with specialties.  Example - I type only radiology, and have never been trained for the "Basic 4".  I will only be working radiology accounts, so I work on the "rad" platform and am only concerned if radiology accounts are out of TAT, approved for OT, etc.  If I type for company XZY and they are way behind on Acute Care reports, sorry, I don't type that.  Some distinct specialties are split off into their own platforms with their own supervisors and would call themselves some sort of team name.  My supe might be over all the radiology MTs, and there may be several subteams under her (such as "L" platform above).


Usually new platforms are scary to current employees, because some companies tend to use us as guinea pigs to work all the bugs out as we go.  Its easier for companies to assign new employees to the new platforms because they'll have to learn everything new as it is.


Depends on your perspective.
I recently read posts from MTs that complained they weren't making enough doing MT.  They said they were having a hard time taking care of their families.  Then some of them went on to say they were making more than $35,000!  I would be thrilled to be making $35,000.  I do expect to be close next year though (my second year as an MT).
Depends on where you went to school,

MedQuist
Spheris
Focus
RI Unlimited
Princeton
Sten-Tel (out of Springfield, MA)
Successful Office Solutions

I know there are more, but this is all I can think of right now off the top of my head. Hopefully someone will have more suggestions.
It depends on your account
Sometimes MTs, new and otherwise, get accounts like that. On the plus side, it is experience that you can use. Learning some of these difficult ESLs now can be benificial to you when you move on to another job. As far as line count goes, that would be tough. Just do the best you can, at least it is a paying job.

Good luck and God Bless.
depends on circumstances
The great proof for me is that I'm home all the time, we don't have to pay daycare and we save a lot on gas by me working at home. And if you're happy. You have to enjoy what you do. I'm not making a ton of money right now, but all the things above outweigh that for us.