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

remember when QA used to just - mt3

Posted: Sep 18, 2010

catch errors, highlight them, and send them to you with a score? No comments, no ridicule, no 'teaching, preching, and/or belittling.'

I mean, QA used to just point out the errors once a quarterly run, and be there as a backup on blanks or questions because supposedly they are just that good at it. When were they told to scold? Why would they think a humiliation approach works?

Remember when MTs used to take pride in their work - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
maybe did a little research before just putting down anything or being too lazy and just leaving blanks for QA to deal with? This profession has become saturated with unprofessional, lackluster people who type with no motivation, skill or pride.

SPEAK 4 Yourself - Lazy & Lackluster NOT

[ In Reply To ..]
However, considering what the pay has been hacked down to, there is a time constraint involved to go that extra mile because of shoddy, lazy, and lackluster dictation expecting us to work for less than minimum wage or sleuth for FREE to interpret WTF they are dictating.

NO. I don't care what the pay is, a professional - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
will always put out the best report possible. Your attitude is part of the problem.

Just what I was thinking. - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
We can certainly leave if the pay isn't what we want or deserve or need, but while we are there, we need to do our job to the best of our ability. If the boss is a jerk or the company worthless, leave, but as long as you are there, it isn't right to try to match the worthlessness of your boss with the quality of your work. That is a major sign of a poor work ethic that you'll most likely take with you anywhere you go.

QA - RLee

[ In Reply To ..]
Most of the people in QA were once MTs themselves and had no SPECIAL training. In fact, some probably have never been an MT and were just thrown into the position, which does not make them god of grammar and/or English. With that said - I totally agree with your post. I may have been unhappy and jerked around in my last job, but I always performed to the best of my capability. It was the right thing to do. A lot of the younger working class today do not set the same high standards as the "older" working class in most cases - unfortunately it is just not in the MT field. Just because an MT feels the MTSO they are working for uses unethical tactics, etc - does not mean we should act in the same manner. When I start and finish any job I want to walk away knowing I did my best and not have to look back.

Exactly! You said it well. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Like RLee, agree with all who understand a good job - is the right thing to do. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

your attitude is exactly MTSOs are "counting" on - no more

[ In Reply To ..]
and allows them to lower the cpl rates.

With such payments "professionalism" stops and we should all quit.

I would suggest as career change:

Bartending.

The worse the economy gets, the more people turn to booze (statistically proven).

Bartending - SM - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
How can people afford to drink in the bars when they are out of work?

I ask myself the same, but it's true! - no more

[ In Reply To ..]
Obviously a lot of people prefer booze to food, clothes, etc.....

They can't - Bartending

[ In Reply To ..]
Bar and restaurant business is way down.

People can't afford to drink. I know 3 bartenders who've been laid off in my area and 3 others who are making a fraction of what they normally do.

My son bartends and used to bring home between $1200-1500 a week and now he's lucky to bring home $600-700.

They drink more, but the tips are less, therefore! - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

good thing I'm in a playground state with nothing but - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
resorts and sports. Winter is our busy time with people coming here, nationwide, just to play golf.

trust me - they can afford a round! you have to know where to bartend, that's all. like any business, some up, some down.

Wouldnt work for me - I cant stand being around - drunk people.

[ In Reply To ..]
*

me neither. The most important thing is that - no more

[ In Reply To ..]
you, as bartender, do NOT drink, at all.

As a former bar owner for many years in CA... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
It's true. People drink when times are good and when times are bad (think drowning their sorrows or trying to have a good time in a bad time). They take their UE or disability/SSI checks and sit at the bar day after day. When they get back to work, they're at the bar day after day (evening after work I mean). The mom and pop neighborhood bar will do great business in bad times. It's the trendy "clubs" that get hit hard. I live in Vegas and the "locals" bars are PACKED while the more trendy, closer to the strip places and local casino bars are pretty quiet on my side of town.

Most important, it's what our patients are counting on. - Nuff Said. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Statistically proven - RLee

[ In Reply To ..]
I remember when the economy started to go to hell in a hand basket and on the national news they were reporting the worse the economy gets the more people drank and gambled. I guess they just want to drown their sorrows and try to make some money with what little they have and forget about reality and have fun in doing so. But it is proven fact.

that's correct - no more

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Where's your statistics then? - Not so

[ In Reply To ..]
I work with the "statistics" (i.e. populations) and can tell you the real-life statistics are NOT supporting your claim.

Statistics - RLee

[ In Reply To ..]
It was on the nightly news like I stated - more specifically NBC - Brian Williams. I will let you do your homework and PROVE me wrong!!!!

If a person cannot do the job they have in a professional manner, they should do something else - In my opinion

[ In Reply To ..]
A person who stays in a job that they know they are not willing to do honorably is not doing a favor to themselves or the people they serve. That's when it's time to do something else and leave those jobs to those who care about doing them well, and yes, there are those who value the job that you no longer care to do. Don't assume that everyone hates their job or wants to do a poor job to punish their employer. We don't all feel that way.

I was docked 0.5 point on a report because I had 2 spaces between a word. I - too petty

[ In Reply To ..]
think that is getting down to being pretty low class, and it is just an overbearing QA person who has an inflated ego.

I hate it when they threaten & belittle because I "left - a comma out" that didnt belong there in the 1st pl

[ In Reply To ..]
And of couse, we have no way of emailing them back - they are anonymous (and/or offshore).

belonged there or not - they have no business talking to you that way. - or anybody. mt3

[ In Reply To ..]
x

I solved the problem by not reading any more of QA"s - "feedback". I delete it un-read. nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

That's not very smart if you hope to improve your skills and succeed - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

We didn't see the e-mail and have no idea how "belittling" it was - Truthfully

[ In Reply To ..]
I talked to someone who was hysterical about being reprimanded by her supervisor. When I found out what was really said, I realized that the hysterics were uncalled for and she was way out of her league as far as jobs. What is "belittling" to one person may be just having a mistake corrected.

We also don't know how many times errors have been pointed out before to no avail - Two sides to every story

[ In Reply To ..]
I would love to see the real story on some of these situations. It would probably have some of us thumping our heads and saying, "Oh! Now I understand." Many of the 'victims' we see here have caused their own problems.

You are oh so right too. It is embarrassing what - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
kind of work some so-called MTs put out. Both sides of the issue have problems. I have been nitpicked by QA too, had changes that were a matter of preference, or where either would do. It seems both parties fail all to often to double check.

I've been on both sides of this argument... - LoriMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand the frustration of being a QA person and having to fill in blanks that were left there simply because the MT didn't want to do the research. Like it our not, research is part of the MTs job.

HOWEVER, MTs are not compensated for all the research we have to do. We aren't compensated for the education and knowledge we must possess to do this job. Someone said before, we should be as good as English professors because the English language is our job. Well, why aren't we compensated for such knowledge. 8 cpl is in no way a fair wage for being English professors, medical language specialists, perfectionists, and speedy gonzalez all rolled up into one human being.

I also know how frustrating it is to have a QA person checking your work who is on some sort of power trip and gets some sort of thrill in ping someone for a comma or an extra space. Let me describe that person to you, they have usually been MTs for about 5 years and have just recently made the transition from MT to QA and they think because they've landed the QA job, they know everything. They start to talk down to people and "educate" them like they are doing the MT a huge favor imparting their expertise to mere peons.

I used to be that QA person. When I first started doing QA, I was so full of CRAP! I went back to MT'ing when companies started paying QA by the line and I got over myself real quick. I was on the receiving end of QA and I was being belittled by people who had less experience than me, but thought they knew everything and I had know choice but to suck it up.

Now, I'm back in QA but I encourage everyone I have to check to let me know if they disagree with anything I have corrected. I make sure they know I will not take it personally if they think I'm wrong, because um I'm human and I can be wrong sometimes! I think a lot of QA people need to repeat that to themselves several times a day.

"I'M HUMAN AND I CAN BE WRONG SOMETIMES."

Unfortunately, English professors often can't find work these days - which makes the whole argument moot

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been watching two highly educated teachers find jobs only to be cut before the jobs start. Using the "We should get paid as much as an English professor" argument doesn't make sense these days. They have their own problems.

It's not an argument. It's a statement of fact. - LoriMT

[ In Reply To ..]
We're supposed to be as knowledgeable as English professors and yet we are not compensated for that knowledge.

Just because your teacher friends can't find jobs right now doesn't mean that my statement is any less true.

Lori, we ARE paid for all the things you say we are not. - Pragmatist

[ In Reply To ..]
This is clerical work. A narrow, specialized job requiring special training, sure, but until recently companies would hire anyone who could type and understand just enough of the meaning to get the commas mostly in the right places. Yet, pay was and is far above what plain typists earn.

We are not FAIRLY paid. The MTSOs are getting a heckuva bargain. - LoriMT

[ In Reply To ..]
And our pay is not far above plain typists. The Occupational Handbook, 2010-2011 edition, put out by the Department of Labor Statistics estimates that the median salary for word processors/typists earn $31,390 per year. They estimate the median salary for a medical transcriptionist at $29,587.

So by government estimates, we make LESS than a plain typist.

As you said, we are a specialized job that requires special training and yet we are making the same or less than a plain 'ol typist. Doesn't seem right to me at all.

That median is more than most in a Dr's office makes - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
We have a lot of advantages that people who work out of the home do not have as far as money saved. I have worked in doctor's office and for a hospital, and you would be surprised how many people in a lot of different jobs are making less than us. I worked in billing for a long time, and if you work with reimbursements for awhile you would probably be able to see why these doctors, hospitals are making changes, going to MTSOs, VR, etc. After adjustments are made in insurance and all the people the drs and hospitals have to pay for taking care of the patient, they are lucky if there is much left, especially if you have a Medicare/Medicaid patient.

We expect to make as much as nurses, lab techs, radiology techs without near the education. Why is this? We only have to be 98% accurate. Do you want any of the above professions that are taking care of you to be 98% accurate?

I have no complaints in my pay. I didn't come into this business thinking I was going to make 40,000 a yr. Although, by the time you take what I make and what I am saving in childcare (I have 3 kids), scrubs or dress clothes, a lot in gas, it does average out to be a decent salary. Where I live, you are lucky to get 12.00 to be a plain typist, even in the large cities nearby.

What jobs for 'plain typists'? I don't think there are any - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

If you have the skills of an English professor and if you are unhappy as an MT - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
Now is the time to go get a job as an English professor.

What are you talking about? - --

[ In Reply To ..]
How long do you think an MT with a work attitude like you described will last before getting fired? How can an MT hold on to her/his job, I quote from your post "putting down anything or being too lazy and just leaving blanks for QA to deal with?" when the minimum accuracy is at least 98%?

One should always think before posting, or at least count to ten.

They are getting fired and/or taking off accounts - That is happening as we speak

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't kid yourself. It's happening.

that pathetic superiority complex and negativity is what this thread - is all about. and the ridicule.

[ In Reply To ..]
really, no matter how many mistakes or questions, care or careless, it's not your job to offend. you are SUPPOSED to help and guide.

I agree. To tell an MT who is struggling with a - anybody

[ In Reply To ..]
miserable audio to "go and wash her ears or have an ear checkup" is outrageous and degrading to the whole profession.

omg - that is so, so sad. and the MTSO allows this child-like behavior? - even sadder

[ In Reply To ..]
My QA is the bully on the block. thinks it appropriate she should blow off steam on another, yep...its her job.

NOT.

Yes, that is demeaning and insulting, but it's the exception and the QA should be fired - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
It's possible that the MT consistently gets things wrong and should be fired, but when QA has had enough, there are better ways of handling it. You just take them off the account(s) and stop sending them work or, you refer them back to what you've told them over and over and over before. You don't make personal comments about their ears. That's unacceptable.

Maybe help, guide, Correct, Correct again, and finally fire - Sometimes an MT will not be helped or guided

[ In Reply To ..]
There comes a time when an MT has not and never will improve. You can't help those who don't want to help themselves.

But the problem is that many QAs have "no motivation, skill, or pride" - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
My first company had no QA, they relied on the secretary who worked for an ortho doctor and "prettied up" his reports after I typed them verbatim. Both the MTSO and the doctor berated me for mistakes because they didn't understand medical document standards or the concept of transcribing verbatim. They called it "QA."

My second company had QA, and almost every email I received from them had a typo in it. Once a doctor was treating a patient who had hypertension but, due to medication reaction, came to the ER with hypOtension. QA changed every instance of "hypotension" with "hypertension" and when I fought it, I was threatened with termination. That patient's medical record is still wrong.

My third company has QA and they forget to check reports. They send them on through with blanks and mistakes out of laziness.

I just can't understand why you would complain about some MTs when some QA personnel are doing the exact same poor, lazy, unskilled job. It has nothing to do with whether someone is MT or QA but whether they're competent and professional.

Your last sentence is excellent. It is all about the skills/attitude of that individual MT or QA - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
It's all about the individual QA or MT and their skills, professionalism, and I would add, attitude. There is a shortage of work ethics in both categories, MTs and QAs. I think it has always been that way, but we hear more about it because we are on anonymous message boards.

As long as there are people, there will be lazy, unskilled, and motivated ones---and the opposite is - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

MT pride - g8mt

[ In Reply To ..]
You might be lazy and leaving blanks, but I take pride in MY work. Stop generalizing about MTs! Aso the profession being saturated with unprofession, lackluster people . . . There'll be one less if you leave.

No teaching? You think that's a good thing? I don't - I Very Much Disagree with you

[ In Reply To ..]
I think there is always more to learn and those who stay open to learning will do better than those who already know it all.

Stick to the basics...what's to teach? - Ur not an English professor

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

If you aren't making mistakes, you won't get corrections or "teaching - No big deal

[ In Reply To ..]
If you need correction, the job of the editor is to help you. If you rarely make mistakes, you won't be bothered. It sounds as if you are being bothered, so there may be a problem there, and it doesn't take an English professor to figure that out.

We are supposed to be as good as an English professor. - Written English is our job. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

But if you aren't, they have hired QA to help your and/or correct you - like any other job

[ In Reply To ..]
Every job has supervisors. They are hired for a purpose. Some are good and some are bad, but every business has to have someone overseeing others for quality control. If you don't think you need correction, maybe that's part of the problem. You don't see your own mistakes. On the other hand, maybe you are perfect and infallible in your work and need to go somewhere where your perfection is recognized.

Point 'em out and that's it..if I have a question I'll ask - mt3

[ In Reply To ..]
,

Workers don't normally get to decide how the job of their supervisors is done - do they?

[ In Reply To ..]
I've never been in a position to supervise my supervisor or tell them what their job description should and should not include. That attitude is what I don't like about work ethics today.

On the other hand, I think some QA people are harsh because they are insecure or, in many cases, not prepared to do the work they are doing. Just because they are falling short of doing their job effectively doesn't give the rest of us the right to do poor work as revenge. We only hurt ourselves when we do that.

Try to tell a QA that she is wrong and you are right - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
and see what's going to happen!

There are ways for reasonable people to do that. I have done it successfully - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

QA is not my supervisor; I would do anything for my supervisor - small message

[ In Reply To ..]
my supervisor treats us with respect ouf of humanity.

and OMG - you REALLY think people do poor work out of revenge??? now there's a dangerous outlook. downright screwed.

Someone said on here that they do poor work to punish their MTSO for poor pay - Yes I do think that

[ In Reply To ..]
I think that because I believe what the MT said.

Read the entire thread - Appalled

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, I believe more than one poster (or one posting under multiple IDs) indicated they do not have "time" to give much concern to the quality of the reports they are turning in, and that if he/she were paid more, they would slow down and make sure the report was accurate.

As indicated my name, I'm APPALLED at this attitude. I couldn't sleep at night if I knew I had shipped through substandard reports just to earn a couple of extra bucks at the end of the day.

I guess it takes all kinds in this, and any other, profession.

Id be fine with that if they would STICK to correct - English. But instead, most of them -

[ In Reply To ..]
make up their own rules as they go along, and then flip-flop back and forth on them daily. This ensures that there is NO WAY we can ever get it "right".

So I pretty much ignore QA. I do the best work I can, hold myself to my OWN standards (which are considerably higher than QA's, anyway), and if they don't like it, tough luck.

That's why, no matter what one things of AHDI, the BOS is a good thing - and please do not call me an AHDI cheerleader!

[ In Reply To ..]
By standardizing the right and wrong way to do MT, we make it easier for everyone. MTs can point at the page number and paragraph to show why they did what they did. They have a defense. Without a standard, we don't.

BOS goes against a lot of things we were taught - about English grammar & punctuation.

[ In Reply To ..]

But if the employers want it that way and you want to do this kind of work - We at least have a standard

[ In Reply To ..]
I haven't seen that many differences other than those that apply because it's the medical record, and those are few.

I agree with NM - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
Plenty of times QA has been wrong, sometimes it bothers me, sometimes not. If it is a very definite "wrong" on their part I let them know, but make sure I have proff to back it up. Most times though, I just ignore and do my best. Been at this to long to let "know it alls" get to me.

that's probably the best attitude. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

corrections fine - do not teach and belittle - not alot of dings - but always rude to make small.

[ In Reply To ..]
.

"Teaching" is part of what QA does. To avoid it, make your work perfect - I agree with you that belittling is unacceptable

[ In Reply To ..]
Belittling is never right. Some QA people don't know how to communicate without coming across as harsh, but teaching is part of their job.

until they do it with respect - DON'T do it. NM - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
.

and be without work. That sounds like a lose/lose situation to me - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
Nowhere is it written that we will like everything about a job, but if we want that job, we'll do it. If we don't want to do the work the way the employer wants it done, we probably need to move on. If you don't have skills that will allow you to move on, you might be better off to keep the quality of your work up regardless of what others do.

you missed the point. not about the skills - its the treatment.QA NICELY. - I am a human being. no message

[ In Reply To ..]
x

agree, I have had them 'teach' me on a typo I missed, as if - I did it on purpose! WHAT IS THAT?

[ In Reply To ..]
.

So it would be appropriate for QA to "teach" you to do a better job of proofreading - In my opinion

[ In Reply To ..]
Typos are mistakes. QA is all about catching mistakes and trying to help MTs avoid them in the future. If they don't do that, they aren't doing what they are being paid to do.

not by making you out as stupid - CHANGE THE APPROACH - we might listen until then QA gets the blow off

[ In Reply To ..]
IF QA CAN'T APPROACH ME WITH RESPECT AND DECENCY - DOESN'T MATTER BEANS WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, BECAUSE THEY LOSE MY ATTENTION AT THE FIRST WORD, AND THEN I DON'T CARE ANYMORE.

PICTURE TOM HANKS WITH 'THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL.'

I would fire both you and the rude QA because neither of you are very professional - My opinion

[ In Reply To ..]
Fortunately for both of you, I'm not in that position.

everybody has one... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
or is that every JOB has one.

It's called a "JOB" - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
The rule is, those who pay you to do work get to tell you how to do it. That's why it's called a job or work. I'm amazed at the lack of maturity and the overgrown sense of entitlement.

The pay scale they offer doesnt match all that - they expect us to "know". -(sm)

[ In Reply To ..]
Pay me more, so that I can slow down a little bit, and I'll betcha my memory will "improve" just like magic.

So you justify shoddy work by your perceived lack of pay? - Patient care is optional to you?

[ In Reply To ..]
Sorry, but your post just screams you're uploading those reports with minimal attention to detail, what with saying if you were paid more you could slow down and not make mistakes.

I think there are a lot of MTs just shipping off reports without thoroughly editing them, the end result of which is potentially jeopardizing patient care.

Flame away if you like, but MTs hiding behind an excuse of not having enough time to send through a CORRECT, ACCURATE report are a danger to this profession and, IMO, and I certainly wouldn't want any of you operating in such a manner to type a report on any of my family members or loved ones.

I may not make as much as some of you breezing through reports, but by golly at least I can look myself in the mirror at the end of my shift and KNOW I did not slack off to earn a couple of extra dollars or endanger patient care in any way.

The justification of sending through shoddy, probably error-filled reports because an MT isn't paid enough to care about accuracy makes me nauseous.

(And spare me your sad stories about going broke, falling behind in your rent/mortgage, etc. If you're THAT broke, then get a job at Walmart or something where you cannot endanger anyone's life when you slack off and throw accuracy to the wind.)

I agree with you. The conversation this week has convinced me of where some of the problems are comi - Disappointed

[ In Reply To ..]
I am so disappointed to read some of these messages. No wonder some MTs are losing work or losing their jobs altogether. Some of them need to do something else. I wouldn't want them transcribing my reports or those of my family members. If I were an MTSO, I wouldn't want them working for me, regardless of how much or how little I was paying them.

Then you should be very concerned, because MTSOs - and their poor treatment and payment -

[ In Reply To ..]
of their employees is for the most part what is cultivating the less-than-perfect attitudes of most MTs, and allowing it to grow and fester.

They caused it. I, and most MTs out there, didn't start out with bad attitudes. Our attitudes started to suck when our pay started to suck.

So if you want happy, perky, peppy, perfect MTs transcribing your and your family's medical records, you're most likely out of luck, unless you happen to use a medical facility that has a well-paid, well-benefitted, INHOUSE transcription department of its own, and doesn't outsource its work to an MTSO.

Pt care--ya right - n/a

[ In Reply To ..]
There are VR reports going directly to the floor without anyone correcting them. They are full of mistakes. Before I go to any hospital these days or take my family to one I make sure I read everything in their charts that I have access to.

So not true - Not a monopoly

[ In Reply To ..]
"So if you want happy, perky, peppy, perfect MTs transcribing your and your family's medical records, you're most likely out of luck, unless you happen to use a medical facility that has a well-paid, well-benefitted, INHOUSE transcription department of its own, and doesn't outsource its work to an MTSO."

What a bunch of rubbish! There are MANY MTs (here and outside of this microcosm of the profession) who take pride in their work, are happy with their MTSO, do NOT work inhouse, etc. Lumping everyone in the "I'm so miserable" basket is just wrong.

And I can tell you the bad attitude of MTs is NOT new, nor is it the CAUSE of MTSOs lowering pay.

No job is perfect - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

So agree, but I believe many are, in fact, on their way out - for this very reason.

[ In Reply To ..]
Now that the "mechanical," critically important job of just getting the words on paper is going to computers, what's left is assuring quality. Many of these people of low standards are being pushed out now and others will also be earning an income some other way before too much time passes.

Patient care is obviously "optional" to the MTSO, - and the hospital that hired them. sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You get what you pay for.

Then don't take the job, if you can't meet the job requirements on what you are being paid - My opinion

[ In Reply To ..]
Doing slovenly work isn't the way to get paid more. If you can't do the job right because you aren't getting paid enough to do quality work, go do something else that you can do with pride. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your ownself and what you have done, not what QA or your employer have done.

Why do perfect work, if doing (for 7-8 cpl) means - s/m

[ In Reply To ..]
that you will be living below poverty level? Something is WRONG when an employee is penalized for doing a good job (QA dings, cheating on line counts, low per-line pay, VBC, bogus "incentives", loss of benefits, and NJA.)

Why on earth would you continue to bust your rear to do totally perfect work, when you're not only never going to see an extra cent per line for it, but most likely all your proofing, research, and double-checking is going to cut your pay? Why would anyone?

Medical transcription is NOT a HOBBY, folks, it's supposed to be a means of making a living.

The word PRIDE comes to mind - Appalled

[ In Reply To ..]
If one can no longer make a living as an MT, then it's time to explore other options rather than justify one's lack of care/skill to not making enough money.

What if everyone, from McDonald's employees to your own primary care physician, felt they didn't make enough and thus didn't feel obligated to do the best job they could?

I have a feeling those of you blaming your low wages to justify your subpar transcription/editing abilities would be the ones screaming the loudest if an employee forgot to put pickles on your Big Mac.

I'm appalled at the "If I were paid more, I'd do better work" attitude displayed on these boards, especially when there is something far more important than pickles on a Big Mac at stake...HUMAN LIVES.

I hope all of you shipping through unedited reports sleep well at night. Well, at least until someone you know and love (or, heaven forbid, YOU) are in the hospital depending on an MT who is at the top of her game transcribing or editing the reports on your loved ones.

How can anyone possibly take pride in work they do - that is undervalued, underpaid, -sm

[ In Reply To ..]
and more of it is being sent offshore every day? How can one take pride in work that most of the time doesn't even exist, unless one takes pride in sitting in front of the computer for hours on end hitting enter, and hoping the NJA message will go away?

FYI, patients' lives aren't the only ones at stake anymore. Ours are, too.

Not being swamped with work makes producing an ACCURATE report - more feasible, amirite?

[ In Reply To ..]
Make up your minds...

Either you're so swamped with VR that you don't have time and don't make enough money to care about quality -OR- you don't make any money because you have NJA a preponderance of the time.

Seems to me if you're getting so very few reports every day, there's no reason each and every report should not be letter-perfect.

I dunno...Seems like a lot of you simply need to look into another means to support yourselves instead of justifying sloppy, error-filled work.

*shrug*

Uh, pride in what you do is because YOU value it. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If you are looking to value your work only because someone else does, you're just playing to the masses.

I bet you let others decide whether you are happy or not, too. LOL

What a terribly self-defeating attitude.

With all the jobs on the Job Seeker's board, why are you sitting and waiting on work? Get a job TODAY. There are plenty of them!

Just sign me,

Actual Working MT

I do. I always have. No matter the job. It comes from - the person I am, no matter the work.

[ In Reply To ..]
Pride based on feedback from others, instead of real value, is headed for a crash.

To appalled: I would like your take on - physicians who s/m

[ In Reply To ..]
who work for HMOs. (I feel there are similarities in this scenerio and the MT scenario). They are required to see a certain number of patients in a given time frame. If they see more patients than required, they receive an "incentive". How do they manage this? They either down play your problem, and send you out the door, or they order multiple tests, which may or may not be necessary, but to cover their "you know what". If they had the time to talk with you, they probably could narrow down the type of tests you might or might not need, but they are required to see a certain number of patients, etc. etc. I have experienced this, I know others who have, I know people who have worked for HMOs, and I could tell you many sad sad stories. What's your take on this?

They are physicians and out of our league educationally and financially - Appalled

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, they get an incentive but most of them make very high 5 or 6 figures per year. They have an extensive educational background spanning far more than an MT.

It's like comparing apples and oranges, actually, and I do not begrudge them their incentive. Well, except for when they do lousy dictation because they're behind or tired, and I have to transcribe/edit it, lol!

I know a lot of the MTs that post here like to align themselves with physicians, but, sorry, IMO, docs are in an entirely different league than MTs, both educationally and financially, and there's really no point in attempting to compare the two fields in any legitimate way.

I disagree with your conclusions - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Yes, SIR, Mister Suit! - n/m

[ In Reply To ..]
X

to 'its called a job'...no, honey, its called a profession. - big difference. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
.

ERRORS/QA - TTS

[ In Reply To ..]
OMG people, its not worth it, we all need to work, we all need our jobs, its sad to have all this pent up frustration for a company who bottom line MQ is just looking out for themself. Production - $$$

Gone are the days when we all worked in our office and enjoyed sharing, teaching and communicating about a trade we all take pride in.

Get up from your desk and walk out and get some fresh air and just be glad we are alive.

I've been an MT for many years and I missed all of that joyful sharing :) - It must have been nice

[ In Reply To ..]
I was always just working. I enjoyed my job, was exhausted by my work, and liked the people I worked with or for, but we didn't have much sharing, teaching, or communication.

I just spent the afternoon outdoors in the fresh air, - not because it was so refreshing, but -

[ In Reply To ..]
because I had NO JOBS AVAILABLE.

The walk in the fresh air was nice, but it's not going to refill my empty refrigerator.

qa humiliation - jc

[ In Reply To ..]
I had a really tough ESL dictator with background noise, eating and mumbling. I left more than the allowed blanks and it went to QA. Well, QA did not fill in even 1 blank, but did send me an e-mail with copies to my supervisors advising me that centigrade is not capitalized. Well, that is true and I had it capped, will never do that again, but really? That is such a bad error I get reported for it?

well, I'm sure the supervisors saw it as 'overdone' too. - feel better.

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Similar Messages:

Apr 23, 2010

Remember when – you were proud to be an MT – proud of the work you did and the physicians said thank you when you did a good job? How about the bumper sticker years ago from AHDI (AAMT) that they handed out at one of the conferences that read – MDs need MTs. After 35 years in this profession, I call it quits. All of us really just need a "thank you" from time to time to feel appreciated. I have worked at ho ...

Sep 01, 2010

Remember when we used to get that newsletter in the mail? I found some today as I was packing my stuff. Remember when they used to pat us on the back now and then? (usually right before they made a change that was a major hassle, though--and NEVER a pay increase, absolutely unheard of) Now they just hang us out to dry and we have to fend for ourselves. Wonder if they even notice we are dropping like flies. We never hear anything from management unless it's that they are i ...

Sep 02, 2010

Remember back when you worked for a client of say 20-40 doctors? When when you could kick your feet up and type with your eyes closed, you knew what the doctor was going to say before he said it. Remember when you could type what he meant to say and not what he actually said. Remember them appreciating that? Remember no BOS or auditing scores? Remember always having an abdundance of work and feeling very comfortable about it because you made great pay? Remembe ...

Jan 11, 2012

You know the weird thing is that even after just 3 years, I cannot even remember the name of the last 2 companies I worked for - I was an independent contractor for the first 15 years and had my own accounts. That's pretty sad when you can't even remember a past employer (or maybe it isn't because you've blocked them from your memory because of the poor pay and constant outsourcing and waiting for them to find you more work). Now that I do remember. If anyone knows who I w ...

Jun 09, 2012

a drug website where you could put in the last part of a drug name and get some possibilities as far as the whole drug name? I have a dictator that pauses the recording and then restarts during the medication list so I only hear the last part :( ...

Feb 17, 2014

Dangerous abbreviations that are in BOS are not to be observed unless the specific CP says to? I have NEVER operated like this, EVER. So now we get to check the CP and try and remember the BOS fix for the dangerous abbreviations (used to just keep it as a shortcut). I gotta get out of here, my mind doesn't process all this crap. ...

Jun 16, 2015

I am in coding school (home-based program) and as I read through the coding book, I try to understand all of the rules, etc., about what gets coded first and dual codes, when to use a particular code as a primary diagnosis, etc. However, I find that I remember little of those rules the next day or even later in the day. How do you remember all of these things, or do you even have to? Is everything I am reading about rules also included in the instructions in the tabular index?& ...

Nov 12, 2009

You actually looked forward to getting the PA instead of the doctor because they were so much easier to hear, understand, etc., except for the fact that most of them have no clue when it comes to pronouncing medications and feel that it is above them to spell the medication out. In my case it seems that the roles have flipped nowadays, I absolutely hate seeing the PA coming up and would rather do the doctor any day of the week!! ...

Feb 22, 2010

BEWARE. We talked about her last time, how everyone tested and never heard back from her . . . there was a term they used for it when they get their work done by sending it out to people that thinkithey are testing for a job but they were being used to get her work caught up!!!! ...

Mar 25, 2010

Awhile back we talked about this Vance. He obviously reads this board and writes his stories. I know someone mentioned STEPFORD WIVES CLUB and he has used this term now. He is a writer and will be speaking at the AHDI in Phoenix coming up. Also, any of you working for MQ, there is an AHDI meeting May 8th in Eugene, OR. I AM GOING. I am so curious to hear what they have to say and I might not be able to keep my mouth shut and they might not like some of the question ...

Aug 06, 2010

How do the figure what we send to QA as far as our pay goes. I am having a brain fart and cannot remember. I sent 1 to QA with 1 blank in it so does it go by that or the number of things they decided were wrong with it, because this person totally picked it apart changed things such as operation done at xxx hosptial to done in xxx hospital, etcetera. It is not a verbatim account either. I don't recognize the QA name either. ...

Aug 21, 2010

The unconstitutional employment practices of MedQuist and CBay - ACalfornian Posted: Mar 17th, 2010 - 2:30 pm I'm NOT an attorney; therefore, cannot give any legal advice. If you want to pursue the issues addressed below, please consult an attorney. In the case of Department of State v. Washington Post Co., 456 US 595 (1982), the Department of State refused to disclose private information of individuals to an "American" corporation, "Washington Post", citing the polic ...

Oct 05, 2010

Does anyone remember what the required lines per hour is? Thanks! ...

Nov 18, 2010

Hey all you loyal MQ people who have been here for years (why we do it, I don't know) Remember when....they used to tell MTs DO NOT ENTER S/L in the QA NOTE, because it made QA "think" they would hear that word....well guess what...and this is for the suits and the managers who are looking, and we know you are .....ASR is nothing but a full report of sounds likes. They wonder why errors are being seen in ASR reports? DUH!!! ...

Nov 26, 2011

Fresh out of a local vocational school for MT back in 1993, I met with an established local MT, who allowed me to do a little of her work (with pay) to see how I would do because she wanted someone to take over on Fridays so she could have that day off. Within a few months, she partnered with another transcriptionist in town for a separate account and gave me all the work from group that she was doing! It was 5 docs and 2 NPs. I did the work at her house on her computer. ...

Dec 28, 2011

Does anyone remember CyMed (who was bought out by SPi in 2006)? I was trying to remember the platform they used. ...

Jan 24, 2012

nm ...

Apr 18, 2012

When was it they "capped" our pay, giving most of us a pay cut? I meant to write it down (don't know why, but I usually record these things), but I never did and can't find the cheery e-mail informing us of our "new" rates! I have all my pay stubs, but they're basically indecipherable. Anyone remember what month that was? ...

Feb 05, 2013

that suddenly closed down in India.... IIRC, the story goes that people showed up for work one morning and the doors were locked. The entire company moved out overnight without any notice or explanation. A friend and I were trying to remember who this was. it was a well known (with us transcriptionists, anyway) service. Thx ...

Feb 24, 2013

down near Philadelphia and what happened to those people that worked in that office. I would like to know where they are now. This is going back a few years and I cant remember the name of the town but I know it was near Philadelphia. ...

Mar 27, 2013

TIA ...

Apr 16, 2013

Boston bombings made me think of her. If I remember right, the only place I learned that she was a MedQuist employee was on MT Stars. MQ didn't bother to put out an e-mail about her, jckas company that they are. Just curious... ...

Aug 31, 2013

How in no more than 90 days, VR would be completely trained to put out perfect drafts? What the happened to that? I am going to throw that up to my TL, just for grins, every time they rake us over for critical errors, customer complaints and so on. Yes, we are making the errors (or at least some of them) but with drafts getting worse, we are being set up! ...

Jan 23, 2014

when you could make a good living by being an MT? What's up with these companies over-hiring and having us sit for hours on end with no work? Why hire so many if you don't need them? I finally quit and will never do MT work again because after going to VR, I sat here for 11 hours on average each day either waiting for work or doing very little work and my last check for an entire month was $240. After 17 years of this work and working for a company that I loved until they sold out ...

Apr 19, 2014

x ...

Oct 23, 2014

I have no idea what username or password to use, what with the different work email, escription, fiesa, weblock and ADP site usernames ans passwords. Can anyone guide me in the right direction? I feel like I am up a creek w/out a paddle! ...

Nov 05, 2014

And there would be a ton of available jobs to choose from? Now we're lucky if there are 2 or 3, and those would be snatched up by Nuance or M*Modal. ...

May 01, 2015

Okay, enough already. She is repeating everything 3 times. I got it the FIRST time. I have already done 2 of her reports and more to follow. Anybody else what a shot at this? ...

Oct 13, 2009

A friend of mine gets the occasionally, and can barely function. Imitrex was the only one that came to mind, but I couldn't remember what else could try to get that won't sedate her. That's the short story. Thanks! ...

Mar 02, 2010

were supposed to be paid more for doing? MQ knows exactly what it is doing and knows very well that things need to be sent to QA. This is nothing but a reason to drop our wages to Indian wages, they have no respect for us at all. They are now putting these rules on us, THEY ARE, and then saying it is totally on the MTs shoulder for anything that goes wrong. Is this legal? ...