A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Other MTSO's and Keystrokes - Regarding NO work

Posted: Oct 16, 2011

Why is it when it comes down to Keystrokes, no one is to make any comments regarding the lack of work? Get real people, Keystrokes doesn't have enough work in Radiology and I just heard from another person none of her calls or e-mails are being answered either.

File for Unemployment; I did and received 15 hours worth recently for - another company.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I have never had a problem with this. sm - 5 years and proud of it

[ In Reply To ..]
I am a radiology transcriptionist and have had no problems with getting full-time reports. There are always the slow periods, same every year, but still get full-time numbers. I know they're not perfect, but KS does more radiology than other companies and they do pay well for those accounts.

I am sure that I will be flamed for my post, so I will save you time: I am not a suit, I am not management and I do not have anything to gain by my post. I am just happy doing a job I still love in an industry that I think is being replaced by machines over the next 10 years. Until then, I will hang on. Also, I should mention I do editing on a Powerscribe account and still make great money.

This message is not for the sharks that seem to be circling Keystrokes. This is for the transcriptionists out there looking for honest answers about a company that has treated me very well.

where do you get your facts? Namely "KS does - more radiology than other companies."

[ In Reply To ..]
Have you worked EVERY company to back that up? I mean, just how do you know that for a fact? I'm thinking my radiology only company does more, knowing the size of KS and us. However, my thought is, at best, a guess.

Keystrokes is bigger than you probably think they are. sm - Rad MT, not OP

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One of my friends is on the AHDI management board and told me that they are the 5th largest company, which surprised me, and the largest radiology one, which did not surprise me. I don't currently work there, but I have applied and hope to hear back this week. I was also surprised at the size of a couple of other companies, such as Transcend. I didn't realize how big they were compared to others.

I have a question for other radiology transcriptionists: Are you seeing a lot of accounts going to VR? I have worked for the same company for 2 years and all of a sudden we were told that our account is going to VR and we need to look for other jobs as they do not have anything for us. I love radiology, so I am worried a bit. Should I be?

mine too! (bigger than you think) what a coincidence. - not a shock

[ In Reply To ..]
the statement in question related to bulk of radiology, "KS does more radiology than other companies." That would also have to take into consideration not only every company doing radiology but the account type as well - hospital? VA hospital? teaching hospitals? clinics? As well as how many reports are turned over if paid by report and/or how many lines if paid cpl.

Still, to claim KS does more radiology than other companies comes off as off the cuff of pretense, so I asked about it that deduction.

It seems that your lack of work is someone else's pot of gold, I would be - questioning the company, sm

[ In Reply To ..]
heads as to why I had no work, especially since the person above claims to have been there for 5 years and has not experienced what you're experiencing. Perhaps you're a heavy hittter and your lack of work is the minimum required (which is peanuts in pay) and that's really the biggest issues. Some people are happy with making $100 a day. I'll tell you this much, I don't get it when someone comes on the board and claims they have never had this problem and question the honesty of someone else. Maybe the above poster who has never run out of work can hook you up with some more work and get the ball rolling in your favor.

I was not calling the OP a liar. I was sharing my experience. I think that there are a lot of fa - 5 years and proud of it

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been fortunate, as have many others. There are a lot of factors involved, such as shift availability, computer compatibility, experience, etc. that go into which account someone gets. I would be happy to help if the OP wants to contact me. I am not a manager but I do have good rapport with many of them. I know that the managers get frustrated when they get blamed for something they don't know about, as I have heard this many times. Just because one person does not respond does not mean that you cannot go to someone else. If she is in radiology, there are many people we can go to, up to and including the CEO.

No one is doubting your pride in this company, that wasn't a bashing to you - it was a suggestion to the OP

[ In Reply To ..]
Your comments were read and noted just as I read and noted the OP. No need to push KS down my throat. I don't work for them, never have, and probably never will. Just because you're happy though that doesn't mean someone else is.

Thanks for the offer. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
I have contacted the CEO and COO who said the would talk to the coordinator. So far I have not heard anything from the coordinator. I am not a newbie but there a few years. I know of others having the same experience/difficulty, no work, no replies.

Thanks again for the offer, it is greatly appreciated.

You know the managers? - How can that be?

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

$100 a day definitely works for me! - Scoobie-Doobie

[ In Reply To ..]
Making $100 a day for me is the perfect balance. Working at home with kids requires a fine balancing act. I am committed to my job. I am committed to my family. Making $100 is the perfect balance where I can be a professional MT and still have time and energy to be a mom, wife, and all the million things that entails. Yep, $100 a day is just alright with me. When the kids are older and out of the house, maybe I'll want to make more, but maybe I'll just continue making $100 a day and kick back and do something for me for a change.

yeah, but are you the sole provider? If not, how forttunate. - sole provider 200 day yep, yes, yeah, dandy for me

[ In Reply To ..]
NM

I don't want to live on welfare either, another sole provider - sm

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I think the cost of living dictates more than 100 a day to provide for a family of 3. That's 24,000 a year. My mortgage payment would take up a large majority of that.

Yep, Yep, totally agree - Scoobie-Doobie

[ In Reply To ..]
I've said it a million times, would NOT want to have to survive on this income or this profession, no way in h***. Way too unpredictable and luck of the draw.

We're struggling, trust me, but IF I could even make $100 a day (which hardly ever happens) it's just going to have to be enough for now.

If I were to wake up in a different situation, I would have to do something different, for sure. Nope, absolutely would not want to survive off this. I guess I would wait tables on the weekends or something and rent out a room in my house. Not good answers for anybody, especially when you're trying to raise kids.

Well $200 a day is about totally unreasonable in this profession even with work - get real

[ In Reply To ..]
I have plenty of work and make a good line rate. Heck, my husband makes a decent hourly rate and still doesn't make $200 a day at his job!!! We are both just about there every day but we still come up short.

I feel for anyone who is the sole provider in this profession, especially with a mortgage and kids. You should know what the circumstances are or could be in this profession and try to have a back-up plan to have a 2nd job or something.

I'm in the planning stages of that now. My hubby is quite a few years older than me. His retirement is only a few years away. We are planning on taking part of his 401K out and buhing a condominium off the foreclosure market that's really cheap right now. This way, I OWN wherever I live in case something happens to him. Then, I don't have to worry about a mortgage, just the condo feeds and/or taxes. I have to make plans as I KNOW I can't depend on this profession to make a living for me and my daughter.

The loan on his 401K will be paid off by the time he does retire and everything will be paid for. I can then sell our home and/or rent it when something happens or he can do the same thing if something happens ot me. Either way, there is a back-up plan, so that either one of us isn't strapped financially.

more than one job works for me, got real yrs ago. - my realty, sorry not yours. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
>

$200 a day a necessity for me too. - MT

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Please don't tell people "to get real" because you can live on $100 a day. Many of us cannot run a household on that. Obviously, you don't have to pay for family health & dental insurance like I do ($400+ a pay period), just one reason I also work hard to make $175-200 a day.

Average $230 to $260 a day, so it is possible. - Fortunate

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I used to be there, but lost that type of income to SR and haven't seen any job postings - to get me back to those wages yet

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Fortunate (sm) - Anonymiss

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I'm in the same "fortunate" boat as you but I have question for you.

I make this amount by working 2 jobs, both straight transcription, one a bit more plentiful on work than the other. One has a set PM shift (employee); the other is an IC position and I make my own hours.

My question to you is...Don't you ever get fatigued and how do you handle it? There are some days my entire coccyx area is swollen and sore from spending so many hours a day at the computer, or I just wake up feeling like I have morning sickness just from being so exhausted. I've reached the point of being so exhausted I need a week's notice to plan an outing for a cup of coffee so I can mentally gear myself up to actually doing something other than collapsing when I'm not working. Oh, and that secondary guilt from actually going out for a few short hours and doing something that I could have spent at the computer earning a little more money.

Do you encounter any of these issues and, if so, how do you deal with them? I feel like I'm way too young to be so bone tired and mentally exhausted all the time, so any pointers would be appreciated.

I have been in the same boat. - see below.

[ In Reply To ..]
I was in a lot of pain and found a gel pad for my chair. I was suffering from terrible soreness between my shoulder blades and a sore neck. I have been going to chiropractor and it has helped a lot. The being exhausted I do not have a solution for. I am exhausted all of the time, mentally and physically. I work 2 jobs too from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. On the weekends I don't want to go anywhere or see anyone and I barely clean house anymore. Being an MT is no longer worth it.

You go girl!!! Wish I could live that way. Heck, wish I could not work at - all, that would be a perfect balance for me

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Must be nice not to have to worry about it. Unfortunately, I'm not a wife. Just a mother.

$100 a day - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I too wish I could make $100. I am a wife and a mother, however, my kids are out of the house. We are still struggling even though my husband makes good money or used to before they cut out overtime, took a 10% pay cut and raised the insurance, so even though we have 2 incomes we struggle each pay period. Of course we live in a state where the taxes are super high. My little house would be worth twice as much some place else. We certainly don't live beyond our means either. Glad I am near the end of my MT career and my kids are grown. I did raise them alone many years ago, luckily though I had a job at the time in house, still struggled and many times shared meals with a friend when we were both low on cash.

Kudos! That's a great story about the shared meals - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

oh, well - now you're talking sugar daddy. lol - or all six in lotto - working oin both.

[ In Reply To ..]
same odds, sadly.

It's all about overhiring. Companies don't care whether an MT - can make good money,sm

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As long as they are providing minimum wage, that's all that matters. They still get what they need from the hundreds of transcriptionist making their money. I cannot live off of minimum wage. I have 2 kids to feed and a mortgage to pay. Hope you find something else that actually has work and pays well for it.

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