My thoughts are don't work a set shift as an IC - please do not do it!!!

If they give you a set shift, you're an employee - mttexas

Pros and Cons depend on the dictator when being paid by the dictated minute - Janie

It has been a long time since I did Radiology and that was in a hospital where we were paid by the hour, but if I remember correctly, there were a lot of what we called “normal” or “standard” reports where the doctor said basically:  “Jane Doe, MR # 1111111, Normal Chest.”  All we had to do was call up the “normal” report and stick it in. 

The only problem I can see with being paid per dictated minute is not knowing how many normal reports a Radiologist can dictate in a minute.  I know the ones we had talked a mile a minute because they had tons of reports to get through each day. 

Being paid by the dictated minute would be a BAD proposition if:

1.  The dictator talks fast. 

2.  There are lots of demographics that have to be filled in or at least verified before you can insert the report text. 

3.  The Radiologist has a specialty that is not familiar to you and you end up having to look up every other word. 

4.  If they expect you to work a set schedule (for example, 8 to 5), they probably also have set minimums of total lines per day or total number of reports per day that they will probable expect you meet within a few days of starting.  Not much time for learning. 

If it takes you 10 minutes to transcribe 1 dictated minute, you will only be making $6 an hour. 

Just something to think about if you have not done Radiology exclusively before.  I might be tempted to try it out, but still keep my current job, just in case. 

Good luck to you.

I'd say probably not. - drivebyposter

I'm losing money on dictated minute account - be very careful!

If they use a lot of standards it isn't, a standard - SM