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

Few ideas on what I avoided for years- IT and a medical dict etc. - dllll

Posted: Oct 03, 2010

I think I have to change my ideas about some things I did the old-fashioned way. I've tried to kind of summarize the things I've learned from a new job:

1. I just started a new job and FOR YEARS I have avoided Instant Text-- Now I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I am new, but I don't know why I did not try it years ago. It is not hard to expand the things with the [ and the ;. Don't know why I thought it would be. Everything in 1 place, not some in Autocorrect or Autotext, etc., and I can save my glossaries and move them with me. Not an advertisement, but man all those years of making expanders and then losing them when I went to another place--Never again.

2. Maybe it is that I am on Qwest DSL, but I just love the typing and the Instant Text. For years I had cable, but am now on Qwest DSL and typing just seems so smooth and nice. Cheaper, too, as my family always reminds me. At least cheaper here.

3. I used to always search Google! What a waste! THey have Stedmans and a Drug Reference of some kind on the computer. I guess I was just too old fashioned or cheap to get one! What a dumb bunny I have been. I just thought I was being modern by searching Google for the last ? 7 years. Sorry for a long post, but I cannot really fathom why I never got Steadmans to put on my computer or a drug reference on the computer. What a time saver! I guess I thought I was saving money by not spending the money, but this is sooo much easier than Googling everything.

I ought to title this confessions of an old MT, but anyway, hope it helps someone get motivated to invest in a few items. I kept going to do it, but kept having to change jobs because of losing accounts and being off-shored and etc, just always busy. Anyway, hope it helps somebody to save time and make a little more money.

Electronic Stedmans - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
The version of Stedmans that I have at work is not the most comprehensive, maybe we haven't been getting all of the updates. Sometimes I will start there but if I don't find what I need Google it anyway. I like using the web search engines, there is access to much more information than you would find in a medical dictionary. Your E-Drug reference will become outdated quickly if you don't keep it updated and you'll end up using the internet anyway. I'm not sure why you would prefer DSL over cable but I guess it's different depending on where a person lives. I'm glad the changes you made work for you and glad you are happy on your new job.

Thanks. I don't really know if DSL made the difference or if just the software- - dlll

[ In Reply To ..]
It may be just that it is the difference in softwares.

Thanks. Of course, still Google, as you stated. It is just that sometimes I have to look up basic words-- especially since re-building my expander once again, that is why I am happy about Instant Text, hopefully this is the last time I will have to build one up.

But you are correct about Steadman's and the drug index getting outdated. I just wanted people to know if they have avoided them, like I have, that they are a nice addition and that it is probably worth having them.

Thank you so much for your good wishes. Yes, I got a much nicer job than I thought I could get. Of course I would love to share, but very small and I got it by posting resume, I do not know if they got it from here or another place. I got it because of praying, although I hesitate to say that because I know many people pray and still get discouraged about the job situation. It is easy to do, because it is so difficult right now. But, keep praying and hoping and in the end God will not let you down. Keep praying.

Thank you so much for the information. It helps, every bit of information people give here helps. It does encourage me to use all the resources.

Don't forget to back up your vocab files - Happy MT Robin

[ In Reply To ..]
I didn't have mine backed up at one point last year and my computer crashed. Oh, that hurt.

I now make a point to back up my vocabulary file to an external hard drive at least once a week and sometimes more if I've added a lot of stuff to it. Doing that has saved my bacon a couple of times in the last year; it especially was helpful when I was moving back and forth between the desk top and lap top, so that way I always had the most current versions of my shortcuts.

Good message, DLLL. For sure back up those files! They - Fellow Traveller

[ In Reply To ..]
grow amazingly quickly. I think at this point if I somehow lost my main dictionary I might prefer to start growing vegetables for the farmer's market over starting over. Over 40K entries, and it would make my computer the first thing I grabbed in a fire (over the baby albums!) except that I e-mail it to my personal computer (where I also use it), my husband's office in another part of the house, and to our son in another town.

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