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I personally love ShortHand for Windows

Posted By: me on 2008-05-26
In Reply to: Text expander - Kari

www.pcshorthand.com


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Love, love, love your story! nm
x
Windows XP
Either version will work for transcription.
No MACs out here. Just look through all the ads. Need Windows XP and Word.
s
Windows XP Professional or Home Edition

Hi,


Could someone please tell me if it matters whether I have Windows XP Home Edition or Professional to do transcription?  If it does not matter, I have been thinking of getting the Professional edition.  A job doing data entry part-time requires that I have the Professional edition.  If I change to the Professional edition, does it matter as long as I have Word to do medical transcription?  Sorry, if this is a dumb question.  I figure that I can't have both installed on my computer at the same time. 


I believe most of these tests can be played using Winamp or Windows Media Player.

I personally am not a newbie FYI...

However, if I was a newbie and couldn't get a job, I would probably accept the 5 cpl to gain experience.  I have seen post after post of MTs asking for companies that will hire a newbie. 


Believe me when I say I never will forget where I started, but if $10.00 an hour is what it takes to gain experience and have some benefits, then so be it. 


I'm sure plenty have been burned in this business.  I, fortunately, have my own accounts and do not need benefits, at least not now. 


I just figured it would help for a newbie to know that Medquist is hiring new grads.  If you are TOO GOOD to work for 5 cpl, then don't, but to say that someone who is new in this profession may not want to give it a try is just simply unfair to that new MT trying to gain some experience in this profession. 


Signed,


A VERY EXPERIENCED MT just trying to help out some newbie MTs that may be interested.......... 


Personally, I prefer the
under chin type (not the stethoscope style).  I bought a pair of pink insight under chin style from transcriptiongear.com and I have to say, they hurt my ears. The ear pieces are a bit to big and they even had to be torqued or twisted a bit to get the sound to come in loud. I bought a pair of Spectra SP-PC recently and LOVE them. Also the under chin style, but the earpieces are just the right size and no twisting necessary. They have different plug in types for this brand and I bought the standard stereo plug in for my computer. I even love listening to my iTunes through these as the sound is excellent. 
This personally happened to me...sm

I worked in a pharmacy and filled a prescription for a neighbor of mine whom I knew was sleeping with another freind of mine's husband.  The rx was for HIV meds.  I was seriously stressed over this.  I knew the laws but what about my friend's life?? She had a 2 year baby girl and was pregnant again.  Well, I rationalized it this way.  If I said something, I would lose my job and I had 3 kids of my own to support and I wasn't sure what the legal ramifications would be.  Also, she knew he was cheating on her and she kept him around.  That's the risk you take when you keep a cheater in your bed.  I decided my family was more important.  I eventually moved and don't have contact with her anymore so I have no idea what came of it.  But it was a very difficult situation to be in.


Also, while in MA school, our instructer told us a story of a girl who worked at a doctor's office where her neighbor was a patient.  She saw the results of her neighbors "cancer" test and when she got home that evening, called the neighbor to give her "condolances" or whatever.  Well, the neighbor hadn't gotten the results back from the doctor yet and was unaware until this girl called her.   So, the lesson being, NEVER open your mouth, no matter who or what.


I personally think this is a great opportunity
Don't let the post below deter you. When I started, a facility graciously took me on with no experience and pretty much trained me in this business. When I first started 12 years ago, I received a wage of only $7.69/hour with some incentives, but I was thankful for the opportunity to get my foot in the door and did gradually work my way up from 6.5 cpl at my first remote job from home to currently 9 cpl. This is the norm for a new MT with no experience. We've all been there and started at the bottom! Three years ago my sister started out at 6.5 cpl and now makes 8.5 cpl.
I personally did not incorporate until I was making over $50K a year because
of the added fees (paying CPA for one thing), corp taxes, etc. MT services carry so little liability I don't think incorporating to install a corporate shield is really necessary, especially since they go after deep pockets anyway.  But incorporating if you are making $50K or more per year is a very important tool for income tax savings. If you are sending work out to other people and they are doing the work, then you turn around and send it in to the client, essentially YOU are not doing the typing, YOU are not earning the money, YOUR BUSINESS is. Therefore you should not be paying social security tax on earnings that are not YOURS but YOUR BUSINESS'S. If you incorporate you can pay yourself a reasonable salary for any transcription you do, plus shuttling the work back and forth. Let the rest of the earnings ride as the company's earnings. You will pay income taxes on them as any profit flows through to your personal taxes but you will save on that big 15% bite from social security. Other advantages though of incorporating are to set up your 401K and let your business make contributions to it. Again, though, that's something that's not likely to happen until you are making a lot of money. As you are a newbie, I don't see that in the near future...
I agree Shorthand is great
I use ShortHand it is the best investment I made
Word expander Shorthand

Can anyone tell me if the word Expander program of ShortHand works well with Editscript?  If not or if there is another program that will work well, would you please comment and let me know?  I am ready to make this purchase and I work on the Editscript platform.  What I'd like to know is what you like and dislike about the program and how difficult it is to install, learn and use. 


Before anyone posts to tell me to do a search, please know that I have searched and have not been able to find this kind of information.  I just don't have much money and don't want to waste money on a program that may not suit my needs.  So, your honest comments on how well this program works for you as an MT, particularly on that platform, would be very helpful and appreciated.


Thank you in advance.


 


Shorthand will give you a free 30
day trial to try it out. After 30 days, if you choose to buy it, it'll cost about $100.00. It's pretty good.

Good luck.
I personally would not recommend them mainly because of the poor way they treat their staff.
/
Not personally, but hundreds have and have been complaining on the internet for years.
It's not a good school, they don't teach you enough for you to get a job, and the companies know it. They will not hire "grads" of Allied School. If you don't want to believe that, hey, it's your money.
ShortHand is another good one. I didn't like IT; not simple enough for me! nm
s
ShortHand is very good and not complicated to learn. nm
s
Shorthand versus Instant text
Looking for a great word Expander to work with. I am clueless at this point as to what is out there and how they even work. I have had ShortHand and Instant Text suggested to me, but not sure which one will be better.

Thanks for your help.
I find that lots of companies are using ShortHand these days.
They have a 30-day trial. 
MTStars FlashType is also just like Shorthand only cheaper in price.
l
I love this one, you can
click on whatever body system you need for lots of really helpful info.
http://medicine.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/introduction.htm

love MT
AmyAmyO,
Do your research on the field locally and go to the library. call local doctor offices and ask to speak with their MT to get info. Find out about a refresher course and there is a book at the library about researching to prepare for the field. Very good book. I love it! Good luck!
I do and so far I love it!!

I do too and love it as well.
nm
WOULD LOVE

to see the list of jobs/companies earlier poster mentioned.... could you post a link on this forum? It might bless a lot of folks! 


Where's the love??
I beg your pardon, I'm an Allied grad and I'm working as an MT.
Been at it 25+ years, still love it the same way I did at first. NM
x
Would love one! but like I mentioned
locally, there aren't any. I have went to all the dr.'s offices and the hospital and they have went to a paper form. They had used a service in a town 10 miles away and I applied and tested with the owner, who I knew and she would have hired me but she was notified that the work she had was being cut, since the paper form was being implemented, and she was going to have to down-size her workers. I had had a job line-ed up that paid hourly before they decided to go to this new form and lucked out. Now, I need to find something over the internet.
I currently work for them and LOVE it! sm
They are an awesome company, and I cannot say ANYTHING bad about them. I have been with them for 10 months now. Good luck!
love that dmz list
That site is where I found my first job.  I recieved 13 responses from that list and I had ZERO experience.  I have been working now for one month. :)
Most people love ES and that is what my
company uses.  There are lots of choices available, but I don't think there are any free ones.  There is Start/Stop and Bytescribe (haven't heard about them lately not sure if they are still around), and GearPlayer.  
I love my job and am very happy!

However, I feel like I should warn you that after a year and a half, I am still making around minimum wage.  This is okay with me.  I like being able to work at home and the flexibility.  However, I know my salary would not work for everyone.  Some people simply need more money right off the bat, so I don't think MT is the best choice for them.


I love that analogy! That's encouraging!
Thanks cm, for spurring on this soon to be MT student! :)
I did it and I loved it! I love the lady over it!! She is the best!
x
I love doing psych notes
they do tend to be boring, but are usually in pretty plain English and are pretty long, so you get lots of lines. Easy money.
how does TV addiction equate to love from a mother?
She is a newbie. She will need blocks of time to do research, learn her trade before she is actually contributing to "society." But also, being part of society is being responsible. I used no rudeness in my post in expressing my sadness over her attitude. Your post was less polite and much less insightful and though provoking. TV does not mean a mother loves her child/ren. TV creates drones who emulate what they see and is addictive. Will they be eating in front of the TV with no time to run, jump, skip, play? What about the obesity epidemic in this country. Studies have linked it directly to parents using TV as a babysitter. Just think about what is best for everyone concerned and the reasons for the concerns.
I love reading your posts Patti!
nm
Love how Innahurry thinks she is funny
x
I do Radiology now, kind of fell into it but love it. nm

I love the work. If I worked at Wal-Mart
I would hate every minute of it.  I am not really a people person and need an intellectual challenge to be happy.  I learn new things all the time with MT, so it is always interesting.  Also, I love being available at a moment's notice if my kids get sick at school, being able to change my schedule easily if they have a field trip, etc.  Money isn't everything, and this is the right career for me at the moment.
Love the idea on using a phone book A-Z for writing down
I have almost 4 year experience now and may branch out on my own next year I think, or at least try. Love the idea of using the phone book, can't believe I never thought of it. Thanks for the tip.
Just stopping in to wish love, peace, and health to all my "newbie" friends here!....sm
Hope you all have a wonderful blessed holiday and that the upcoming year has prospertiy and contentment for you all!!!
transcriptiongear.com has phones with a volume control on the cord. Love 'em! Really helps. nm
s
Who said I HATE this field? I LOVE this field but

also see the changes coming down the pike. Also feel it is not fair to withhold or misrepresent that part of the equation to someone who is considering entering MT or just starting out. Knowledge is power. It would take years for a new MT to have the kind of insight into this field that a 20+ year experience lends. Believe me, I would be only too happy to keep running my MTSO, making $75,000+ year while working 20 hours a week, paying my MT's well, but it's not going to happen. Try reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman if you want a perspective of what's going to happen to not only MT work but a lot of great white collar jobs. India and the rest of the world are breathing down our necks and in the next decade will be serious competitors for American jobs. There will be no "american" jobs - we will be competing against the rest of the world for jobs.


Friedman states: "The convergence of 'flatteners' has created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate...this platform operates without regard to geography, distance, time, and, in the near future, even language. Going forward, this platform is going to be at the center of everything...wealth and power will flow to those who get these basic things right...the infrastructure to connect with the platform and the education to get more of their people working on the platform.


Please wake up and look beyond our box.


$600/year!! I would LOVE to pay 600/year -
I end up paying in $2000+/year EVEN WITH MY DEDUCTIONS, and I deduct anything and everything!! My accountant keeps telling me to buy a house or have a baby and then I wouldn't pay in so much.