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

Typing speed of MT's - Happy MT

Posted: Feb 17, 2011

No one seems to talk about typing speed these days. I see a huge difference in earning ability of an MT by their typing speed. I get resumes and people don't even put their typing speed on a resume often. I have to go back and ask them. It is the best ruler out there. Are there any 100 wpm typists out there looking for clinic work, M-F, 9-5? Since we all work by production, obviously the faster you type, the more you will earn (and happier you will be) but you just never see any posts about speed.

There are HUGE changes in medical transcription in this country. I have been in it for over 20 years. I made more money at 9 and 10 cpl years ago doing straight typing than I can make now at 13 cpl because of dealing with EMRs, going in and out of patient charts, etc. I have never done any VR or editing. I don't know how you make money editing when you have to listen to the whole voice file and can type as fast as they talk?!?! I work my **** off 10, 12, 15 hours a day to make $40,000 a year. I don't mind because I love getting paid to do what I love to do, surrounded by my pets. But for sure, things have changed. There are so many unhappy MT's on this board. If I was that unhappy, I would be training to do something else.

Typing speed of MTs - Snowshoe

[ In Reply To ..]
Hooray! Thank you for bringing up somethg dear to my hear--typing speed! I have been doing ALL kinds of transcription for over 30 years and average 100-110 WPM. I am a frustrated recent graduate of an MT course who also cannot find a job! This is the first time in all my "surfing" where someone has mentioned typing speed. Thank you, Happy MT, for making my day!

Typing speed - Snowshoe

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I WAS SO EXCITED MADE TYPOS! :>)
Sorry!

Extremely good point, Happy. NO doubt the more well paid MTs - Pragmatist

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and editors are all good typists.

I'm naturally below-average in speed but okay after all these years of practice. I recently tested myself at around 100 wpm-typing the kind of text I do all day anyway, no foxes. My last resume had a base typing speed on it (guessed at somewhere around 85-90), also the simple information that I used an expander extensively, but strangely no weekly lines average, solidly self-promoting info that that can be. Um, just remembered. I moved because of lack of work for some time and lousy lines.

Today my resume would list my typing speed with expander and might not include without at all since if I lost it I'd immediately file for disability. :)

BTW, a lot of the time, in some cases all th time, editors speed up dictators so they sound like they're playing with helium balloons. No need to plod along in real time if there aren't a ton of corrections slowing you down. I'm always moving the speed up and down, keeping it as fast as I can manage.

TO SNOWSHOE - Happy MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Invited you in earlier post to contact me by e-mail regarding job...

I have no idea what my typing speed is. I - concentrate on how many

[ In Reply To ..]
lines I am getting and haven't really taken the time to really care what my wpm comes to. Also, I find it hard to put a specific speed as a I have some doctors that I can type around 300 lph and others that are around 200 lph.

On my resume, I always put a weekly average of my line counts and my accuracy rating, but honestly, I don't think anyone has every asked me how many wpm I type for a transcription job.

Disagree - Old MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Typing speed is NOT the greatest indicator! Knowledge is, and along with that, knowing how to work/research smart.

I type 100 WPM, but it wouldn't mean diddly if I didn't know diddly. I always put it on my resume, but I wouldn't work for someone just because they felt I typed fast enough for them. I like to think all my years of working hard to gain experience and knowledge is worth more than my typing speed.

Typing speed - Happy MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Old MT, I mean ASSUMING they are experienced MT's. Obviously not pertinent if they didn't know "diddly" about MT.

Only an audio test would reflect an MT's true speed. nm - oldtimer

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.

You probably wouldn't hire me based on my typing speed - ICManiac

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A few months ago this issue came up and I went to an online site to test my speed. I think it was in the low 60s. *shrug* The reason for this is that I am trained in the use of abbreviations. On one occasion I asked if I could type in abbreviations and was told I could. It turned out I was not the only person who had asked and they have a conversion template to help them convert my test. I did over 300 wpm.

Like you, I make over $40k, and yes I put in a lot of hours, but not nearly the numbers you state for yourself. I transcribe something every single day, but if I work an 8-hour day, well, let's just say I only work 4 the next. I think my point here is that I don't see speed as a sole factor for considering whether or not an MT is a good productive MT.

Don't know and don't care - LK

[ In Reply To ..]
Typing speed is relatively unimportant, IMO. Of course, to be a good MT your typing speed needs to be decent. But what really counts is what's in your head, how well you use shortcuts, and how much time you spend with your hands on the keyboard versus wasting time. If someone asked me my typing speed, I would tell them I don't know. But I'm an extremely fast and accurate MT, and that's based more on what's going on in my head than in my fingers.

It just goes to show you that most MTSO and/or recruiters...sm - oldtimer

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have no clue what to look for when hiring a competent MLS. Speed is good (LPH) but knowledge, research skills and expanders are everything.

Typing Speed - MT

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Right. Speed isn't everything. It just doesn't make sense what the poster said about how many wpm someone can type.

Of course speed is a factor. Half this job is mechanical. - Expanders require typing too. NM

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x

Don't know typing speed - sm

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Have kept track of my average lines over the years and use that as a reference when asked. Doesn't make much difference how fast I type if I'm handed a 15-minute dictation with a third of it filled with turning pages and throat being cleared. Have had plenty of those, even with the clinic work I worked on years ago for a large multispecialty clinic.

Typing speed - oldish MT

[ In Reply To ..]
You can't really calculate or most don't calculate a typing speed using the computer. It was different when we used typewriters because we were inputting every keystroke.

I transcribe at relatively fast conversational speed for most of my dictators, as long as they are talking medical-ese. Sit me in my chair and dictate a Dear John, Today is Friday blah blah letter and I'm probably just under conversational speed because my brain/finger connection doesn't think in those terms.

I agree that for people like me who type as fast or faster than they talk, trying to make a living doing editing is difficult. We'll never double our capacity so if the VR pay is low, we're basically screwed. Found out yesterday we're going VR next month. Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy.

Rubbish. It's the lack of knowledge and experience - that costs MTs. (sm)

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Your speed will not any difference if you cannot keep up with the dictator by understanding what you are hearing.

The only relevant production # is the LPH for - both transcription and editing.

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It requires KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE.

No, only relevant production # is dollars per hour, which - is how we pay for living in USA. nm

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x

Typing speed is IRRELEVANT in a profession - that is so frequently OUT OF WORK. nm

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Xx

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