I am glad I didn't take the advice of most of the people on this board. I have had nothing but support from this company and I feel like I have the potential to go places, regardless of the negative things people say about "defy's", QA, pay levels, supervisors, "Sigma 6", etc. I feel that this company offers me great opportunity and I think it is pretty sad that people are afraid to post any positive things about this company, because they just get blasted from others who are either bitter about the past, don't know anything about the company except what others have said, or just don't know what the company is like at the present time. I understand if people have had negative experiences in the past, but to compare those experiences with the present company and the changes they are trying to make, is pretty unfair. By the way, we don't get penalized (a lower cpl rate) if we make mistakes - in case people had that impression.

I know people have a right to voice their opinion on this board, and that's what it is here for - for people to vent. I just wanted the neutral people out there to know that there are many people at my company who are pleased and would not trade their jobs for the world. We have over 2,000 employees and the number is growing. The only people who leave are the people who don't give it a chance, or who really don't care about the quality of work they do.

As far as not being able to switch to another account, or move up in levels, as long as you meet the criteria for a job posting or a transfer to another account, you will get it. Maybe you won't get it in a week, but you will get it. I intend to take advantage of any opportunity that comes my way.

I also would like to thank Mike - who helped me make my decision, as well as few others on this board who I spoke with personally (you know who you are).

The bottom line is, I am glad I made the decision to work for this company. I have been a transcriptionist for over 13 years and have worked for many places. I feel this company is very professional and tries to accommodate their employees as best they can. There are things that are still being worked out, but you will see that with any growing company. We are getting new accounts all the time, that is why we are hiring all the time. Some of the people think of leaving this company because they don't have the patience to stick with it until they reach the next plateau. I was almost one of those people. I am used to making a certain salary with my full-time job and when I saw I was not making that in the beginning, I was ready to quit. The members of my team convinced me to stick it out a little longer and things would turn around. They were right, I'm already producing twice as much as I was in the beginning. I know I will eventually make what I want, and then some. There is great potential with EDiX and I intend to take advantage of it. Things are what you make it.

I am not speaking as someone who has no experience. Over these 14 years, I have worked in many different settings and for many different doctors. I have trained transcriptionists and even hired people right out of school who I saw had potential. I know that I make $20 to $25/hour as an independent contractor (getting paid by production), and $18 to $20 at my full-time job hourly during the day. If you are dedicated and care about what you do, the rest will follow. If you choose to spend your time complaining and griping about what's wrong the profession or the company, instead of trying to find ways to make it better, then negative will follow you.

Right now I am making half of that at EDiX, but it's only my first month and I know three months from now, I'll be making whatever I want. I am in control of my line counts, not EDiX. I am in control of my errors, not EDiX. I am in control of my QA score, not EDiX. I am the only one who should be held accountable for my work, and I fully accept that responsibility. Too many transcriptionists feel that "it's not my job to edit my work". Yes it is. Part of our description is not only to transcribe what we hear, but to make sure that it makes sense and to proofread our work. The editors only read your work if you send it to editing. They don't read every report you transcribe. If you send something to editing, it's because you can't understand what the doctor is saying, and maybe they can. So what! Everyone is entitled to mistakes and you are allowed to make them; just not on every report you transcribe. You shouldn't be a transcriptionist if you are going to produce work like that. This is the standard I have set for myself, so I expect the same from every other person who calls themself a transcriptionist.

Not everyone can do this job. I've said that before. You are either born with this talent, or you're not. I have never gone to school for this. I am self-taught, like a lot of your best transcriptionists. These days, transcription is advertised as the perfect profession so you can be at home with your kids. People don't realize all the dedication and hard work it takes to be a good transcriptionist, and I think that's the problem with finding good help. It takes more than a one or two-year course to be a transcriptionist. You have to love language, typing, listening, researching, editing, etc. That's why a lot of new people feel overwhelmed because they can not be taught these things. They learn keyboarding, some terminology out of a textbook, and think that hey are 100% prepared for what lies ahead. This profession is a constant learning experience. I am still learning new things every day. You are never going to know everything, but you should have the desire to always learn more.

This board seems very preoccupied with money and being treated unfairly. If you don't like where you're working because the company is abusive and you have no rights, then leave. But if it's because you have to wait more than a week to get a transfer, I don't think that's a legitimate reason. Sometimes to get to where you want to be, you have to be somewhere you don't want to be for a little while, but in the end it's worth it. I guess I have little bit more of a positive attitude than most of you on this board. But I feel it is a realistic one as well.

Well, I have gotten more than a few things off my chest and that makes me feel better. I just couldn't let another day go by without speaking my mind. I respect the fact that everyone will have their opinion, just as I will have mine. Just for the record - I don't work for human resources, I am not a supervisor or manager, and I have not been paid for my statements. I am just a transcriptionist - that's it (in case someone feels like saying I've been swayed somehow into giving this editorial).

Keep those fingers flying - I know I will

HOWEVER...

quote:

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This board seems very preoccupied with money and being treated unfairly

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I, for one, take great exception that you are lumping the whole board under the aegis of a few disgruntled people. I certainly haven't seen the 12,000+ members posting complaints about dollar signs and unfair treatment. Very few in the great scheme of things, actually. But apparently those few really got under your skin. I guess that is understandable, but I have been a member of this board for several years now, and never once have I complained, nor seen many others. Are sure you aren't confusing this board with another?

Again, I'm glad you've found job satisfaction with Edix, and I agree with just about everything you've said, except that you make it sound that the entire board is a bunch of dissatisfied whiners.

There...I just had to get this off my chest, too...

ADVICE: When coming to this board it is in your best interest not to reveal the MTSO that you work for. You don't want to "ruffle any feathers."

I would like you to wait a couple of months until after your probationary period and then write us and tell us exactly what you think about EDiX at that time.

No, I am not a "newbie" either. I too am a self-taught transcriptionist with over 15 years doing this work. When I hired on with EDiX the second time (about 18 months ago), I specifically told them what experience I had. They promptly put me on one of the most difficult accounts (level 8 with lots of foreign dictators) doing op reports. Naturally op reports is the one field that I have limited experience in and certainly I had never done CABG, open-heart, major trauma cases, etc. before. Well my defy rate soared through the ceiling.

I was transferred to three different supervisors in my first three months. Yes, I requested a transfer several times and no, I was not given one due to "no accounts being available." Well, this MT stuck it out at EDiX for almost 8 months. I left EDiX finally and went to a different national at which I am very happy doing exactly the type of work that I want to do. My QA score at my new national is 99.6% and they don't care about defies!

I do wish you the best of luck with EDiX and please let us know after a few months under your belt what your opinion is then.

That said, I do personally know of three people in my area who have quit the big E in the past couple of years. These are people with plenty of job experience. They are not whiners, they are people who need to make a living. Based on what they have told me, I would never consider working for the E. But then, I have a real prejudice against any large MT company, because they just can't care about the same things my little company cares about.

Anyway, good luck with your new venture!

If you are satisfied with your present job, what you are paid, and how you are treated we are all very happy for you.

Like Gisele, I know many people who have worked there, including some who left, returned, left again...some who were there years ago, some who stayed through each of the several management technique changes, some who worked under the present system and some who are currently working there... I sincerely wish you luck and hope that your experience ... after more than just a month... is still a positive one

Nae

[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: Nae ]

I realize that I may have implied that this entire board is only concerned about money and made everyone sound like a bunch of whiners. That wasn't my intention. It was late and I was rambling on (as you can see by the length of my post)

Anyway, I realize I am still new with the company and I have no history with them, as yet. I will be glad to let you know how I am doing months from now and I will definitely be honest about my experience.

I never said that this was "the best company I ever worked for". My present full-time job IS the best company I've ever worked for, and it is a five-doctor neurology practice with about 20 employees. We call the doctor's by their first names and everyone is like a family. I would never think of leaving this job, other than the fact that I might be relocating to another state.

I am sure there are other companies out there that are superior to this one and maybe I will end up at one of them someday. For right now, EDiX seems to be a decent company to work for, and that's the point I wanted to get across. If I would have listened to the majority of people on this board, I definitely would NOT have taken the job.

Anyway, I've said enough. I want to apologize to anyone who was offended by my money hungry, whiner comments. I guess I was feeling a little bitter about things I have read from certain individuals in the past. Overall, I enjoy reading the information on this board. I find this forum to be very fair. Thank you for your good luck wishes!

Hope that smooths things over a little

[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: AngBet317 ]

[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: AngBet317 ]

The error:
(Mine) .....mixed with 0.25% plain Marcaine in equal quantities.

(Auditor) ....mixed with 100% plain Marcaine in equal quantities.

This is a standard anesthetic that this doctor gives routinely for any lesion excision, and I have done him for over 3 years.

Now, I am under the gun to be fired......but who made the mistake?

[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: mareboo ]

quote:

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I know people have a right to voice their opinion on this board, and that's what it is here for - for people to vent. I

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Actually the purpose of this board is not simply for people to vent...it is for people to discuss any of the many, many things that affect how and where we do our jobs. At the moment Edix's Sigma 6 is of great interest to many people...tomorrow it may be the Squid's rumored decision to stop classifying their MTs as employees and call them all SE...the whole point is that all of us are on an equal footing and are allowed to post our opinions... except me, of course, I am the Big Dog

As well, and I have to admit this is the very first time this issue has ever come up here ...

The HZ and MT Desk (at least to my knowledge) is not now, nor has it ever been, a recruiting forum for any specific service.

Nae

[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: Nae ]

[ 09-21-2002: Message edited by: Nae ]

Then again, Mareboo just demonstrated why there is so much anger and bile being directed at Edix. Because along with that extraordinarily questionable patient care error by an editor (who likely as not is a graduate of the Sally Struthers Weight Loss Academy and At-Home Transcription School) comes a nice little deduction in the paycheck along with a written record of an extreme error that probably did not occur.

AngBet, I honestly am thrilled for you that you are happy in your current situation at Edix. But if I read it correctly, this is also only a part-time gig for you. There are full-timers who are getting large chunks of their paychecks forfeited because of ridiculous calls like the one Mareboo got called on. And one person's molehill is frequently another person's mountain. Knock 'em dead at Edix, and prove most of us wrong. Please.

OnlyAirCooled/Applescruffs/Whoever the hell you are: One question - why do you come here?

I feel very bad that one patient care error would jeopardize your job. I will have to speak with my supervisor about that one. If that's the case, this is definitely not somewhere I want to be. I was told we were no longer getting penalized for our errors, as far as a cpl reduction. However, if we can be fired over a few errors, I certainly do not want to continue with this company.

It is true that this is a part-time gig for me right now; however, as I mentioned in my second posting, I am planning on relocating to another state and I will not have the luxury of my full-time job forever. I wanted to get the experience with a national now, so when I converted to full time, I was already up to speed with my production. I wanted to get an idea of how much I could make before I actually relocated. I guess you can say I took the cautious path. I also couldn't afford to be without a paycheck and didn't want a lapse in money coming in. I figured when I'd move, I would take the job with me and already be set up. I understand that there are full-timer's out there who are frustrated. That's another reason I didn't accept this full-time right now.

Again, I'm sorry you got that letter and I hope things work out for you. After three years, you should be treated better than that.

Thanks for your input!

I am thinking I would be sending that one back through whatever process they have for you to question an editing decision and I think I would be asking for a voice review to see exactly what that dictator did say

AngBet ... the whole idea here is that you or any MT be better prepared to ask the questions that need to be asked before finding yourself in a situation that is not right for you I see no reason at all why you cannot be perfectly happy at Edix or any other service for that matter if you do so with your eyes wide open and with a full understanding of exactly what is expected of your part and their part as well.

Nae

quote:

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I know that I make $20 to $25/hour as an independent contractor (getting paid by production), and $18 to $20 at my full-time job hourly during the day.

---

Ah to be so well paid! I am a full time transcriptionist for our local hospital and make just over $12. I"m curious to know what the "average national rate" (if there is such a thing) would be for transcriptionists in a clinical setting. If anyone knows..please let me know

I've watched you sitting there
Seen the passers-by all stare -
Like you have no place to go
But there's so so much they don't know
About Apple Scruffs

You've been stood around for years
Seen my smiles and touched my tears
And how it's been a long time,
And how you've been on my mind
My Apple Scruffs

Apple Scruffs, Apple Scruffs,
How I love, how I love you
In the fog and in the rain
Through the pleasures and the pain,
On the step outside you stand,
With flowers in your hands,
Apple Scruffs

Through the years they come and go
But your love must surely show me
That beyond all time and space
We're together face to face
Apple Scruffs

I am going to ask you one more time, sweetly, holding up my mint julep, and smiling...

Making at least a minimal attempt to post in this forum following the few guidelines I do have would be greatly appreciated. Reading over the two threads I moved up to the top especially for you would be a good place to start.

Think of it as three strikes and you are out in baseball...at the moment you are working on a full count.

Nae