Typing what you hear

Typing what you hear

Hi everyone,

I am in the midst of an argument with someone who thinks they know all there
is to know about transcription. I was helping someone else out on another
group about training for a transcriptionist and this other woman pipes in. I
am copying what she had to say in two posts about it. I am going to get back
to her about this, but I was wondering if I could collect your infinite
wisdom on things to set her straight. By the way, just in case no one
remembers me, I mostly lurk on this group and have been a transcriptionist
for 17 years.

> Have you tried to listen to a tape and type it on your own?
>
> I did medical transcription for a few years and I never took any
> courses for it. I still do transcription of my own tapes for my
> articles that I write. If you know how to type and have a medical
> dictionary and a dictaphone, it shouldn't be a problem. All you do is
> put the tape in the dictaphone, push the pedals, type what you hear
> and use a dictionary for questionable words. I never had a problem
> when doing this and I worked for both doctors and employment
> agencies.



I worked as a medical transcriptionist for five years with no training
(3 years for a group of doctors and two years for two employment
agencies, doing transcription for at least 20 different medical
groups/hospitals). And then I did it at home for a while. My BIL now
owns his own medical transcription business. He never had any
training.

Anyone who has intelligence, knows how to type, has a basic knowledge
of medical termininology, owns a medical dictionary and can use a tape
recorder can teach medical transcription to themselves like I did and
like my BIL did.


Thanks so much.

--
Sue (mom to three girls)

Re: Typing what you hear


Well, all I can say is, with no certification or education required to
do the work, anyone who wants to call themselves an MT can do that. She
wouldn't last a day transcribing the stuff I do, however! I guess she's
an MT until she gets canned enough times to figure out she isn't really
one.

Gisele


--
Gisele
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gisele's Profile: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=317
View this thread: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6652

Re: Typing what you hear


"Sue" <sburke9368@wideopenwest . com > wrote in message
news:k6KdnY50OuyHL47VnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@wideopenwest . com ...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I am in the midst of an argument with someone who thinks they know all
> there is to know about transcription. I was helping someone else out on
> another group about training for a transcriptionist and this other woman
> pipes in. I am copying what she had to say in two posts about it. I am
> going to get back to her about this, but I was wondering if I could
> collect your infinite wisdom on things to set her straight. By the way,
> just in case no one remembers me, I mostly lurk on this group and have
> been a transcriptionist for 17 years.
>
>> Have you tried to listen to a tape and type it on your own?
>>
>> I did medical transcription for a few years and I never took any
>> courses for it. I still do transcription of my own tapes for my
>> articles that I write. If you know how to type and have a medical
>> dictionary and a dictaphone, it shouldn't be a problem. All you do is
>> put the tape in the dictaphone, push the pedals, type what you hear
>> and use a dictionary for questionable words. I never had a problem
>> when doing this and I worked for both doctors and employment
>> agencies.
>
>
>
> I worked as a medical transcriptionist for five years with no training
> (3 years for a group of doctors and two years for two employment
> agencies, doing transcription for at least 20 different medical
> groups/hospitals). And then I did it at home for a while. My BIL now
> owns his own medical transcription business. He never had any
> training.
>
> Anyone who has intelligence, knows how to type, has a basic knowledge
> of medical termininology, owns a medical dictionary and can use a tape
> recorder can teach medical transcription to themselves like I did and
> like my BIL did.
>
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> --
> Sue (mom to three girls)


There are very few good transcriptionists because being good at MT requires
having several different skills/gifts and being facile in all of them.

You have to have a good "ear." You need to have an *extensive* knowledge of
medical terminology, not a "basic" knowledge as this lady suggests. You
have to have good spelling and grammar skills plus the ability to often make
fairly incoherent dictation coherent. You need to have a level of
intelligence that is significantly higher than average. You have to be able
to type fast and accurately. You need to have a lot of attention to detail
and to care about and take pride in the quality of your work. In addition,
these days, you need to have way above average computer hardware and
software skills.

You don't find that combination of skills/gifts very often in people, and
you find them even less in people who are self-taught.

Last but not least, you have to able to tolerate people who think that what
you do is really nothing very unique or special.

ed

Re: Typing what you hear

There is some truth in what they say in a limited way. It is how I got
started, but that was 20 years ago and I had worked extensively researching
for my veterinarian, and had many years of transcription experience of
several different kinds from legal to interviews to large meetings some of
which included ESL speakers.

I also happened to have an exceptional background in English and grammar,
something I have found lacking in a couple of wannabees I tried to mentor.

I was also lucky to have a very good mentor to turn to. She needed help,
knew my skills and background, and walked me through a couple of really
tough dictations.

When I think back about some of the errors I made in the early days, needing
to learn how to combine words, etc., proper formatting, I know I wasn't as
good as I thought I was then. After 20 years I know I'm good, but there is
always still more to learn.

Barb C.
"Sue" <sburke9368@wideopenwest . com > wrote in message
news:k6KdnY50OuyHL47VnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@wideopenwest . com ...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I am in the midst of an argument with someone who thinks they know all
> there is to know about transcription. I was helping someone else out on
> another group about training for a transcriptionist and this other woman
> pipes in. I am copying what she had to say in two posts about it. I am
> going to get back to her about this, but I was wondering if I could
> collect your infinite wisdom on things to set her straight. By the way,
> just in case no one remembers me, I mostly lurk on this group and have
> been a transcriptionist for 17 years.
>
>> Have you tried to listen to a tape and type it on your own?
>>
>> I did medical transcription for a few years and I never took any
>> courses for it. I still do transcription of my own tapes for my
>> articles that I write. If you know how to type and have a medical
>> dictionary and a dictaphone, it shouldn't be a problem. All you do is
>> put the tape in the dictaphone, push the pedals, type what you hear
>> and use a dictionary for questionable words. I never had a problem
>> when doing this and I worked for both doctors and employment
>> agencies.
>
>
>
> I worked as a medical transcriptionist for five years with no training
> (3 years for a group of doctors and two years for two employment
> agencies, doing transcription for at least 20 different medical
> groups/hospitals). And then I did it at home for a while. My BIL now
> owns his own medical transcription business. He never had any
> training.
>
> Anyone who has intelligence, knows how to type, has a basic knowledge
> of medical termininology, owns a medical dictionary and can use a tape
> recorder can teach medical transcription to themselves like I did and
> like my BIL did.
>
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> --
> Sue (mom to three girls)
>

Re: Typing what you hear

On Apr 26, 8:42 pm, "Barbara Carlson" <bbcarl...@snappydsl . net > wrote:
> There is some truth in what they say in a limited way. It is how I got
> started, but that was 20 years ago and I had worked extensively researching
> for my veterinarian, and had many years of transcription experience of
> several different kinds from legal to interviews to large meetings some of
> which included ESL speakers.

I'd say there's a LOT of truth in what they said, but with a number of
caveats. It doesn't just require "intelligence" (whatever that may
mean, as one would really have to define what that encompasses), but a
good measure of common sense, as well, and a strong basic fund of
knowledge, preferably with more than a smattering of medical
terminology from whatever source (hypochondria is a good starting
point :-). Some rudimentary exposure to Latin and Greek are helpful,
though certainly not prerequisites.

Anyway, I don't think official training or certification can make or
identify a "good" transcriptionist. Certainly, there are many out
there who have both who churn out crap. Just as certainly, there are
many out there who have neither and are worth their weight in gold (if
only I could turn some in in exchange!).

I was lucky in that I had a lot of nonmedical transcription experience
before getting into this field, and was even luckier to find an office
(at a Level 1 trauma center, no less) that was willing to take in a
newbie and train them in the office. I doubt I would have lasted
otherwise, not without the mentoring provided by all of my coworkers
and supervisors.

But is official training of whatever sort a necessity? Absolutely
not. Many really *could* just pick it up and run with it, and do a
bang-up job of it, but they're few and far between.

Re: Typing what you hear

It always cracks me up when people say this, but I do think that there are
some lousy "certified" MTs as well. I have had subs that have all taken all
the testing, passed and have the CMT or whatever it is and R whatever it is
and I would no more let them do my work than a bum off the street. So
certification doesn't mean crap either. I agree with what Barbara says, you
need grammar skills and spelling and just some plain old common sense. The
one I had (multi-certified) would constantly make the same errors, even
after I would correct it over and over and advise them to have a "cheat
sheet" to remember, would shuffle between 2 spaces and 1 between sentences
(let's at least be consistent) and always used contractions -- don't,
doesn't, etc. Something I don't allow unless it's a verbatim account. I
think it looks unprofessional. (That's my old court reporting manager days
coming out).

--
Sue -- Firefighter mom -- still rabid UW DAWG fan!
"Sue" <sburke9368@wideopenwest . com > wrote in message
news:k6KdnY50OuyHL47VnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@wideopenwest . com ...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I am in the midst of an argument with someone who thinks they know all
> there is to know about transcription. I was helping someone else out on
> another group about training for a transcriptionist and this other woman
> pipes in. I am copying what she had to say in two posts about it. I am
> going to get back to her about this, but I was wondering if I could
> collect your infinite wisdom on things to set her straight. By the way,
> just in case no one remembers me, I mostly lurk on this group and have
> been a transcriptionist for 17 years.
>
>> Have you tried to listen to a tape and type it on your own?
>>
>> I did medical transcription for a few years and I never took any
>> courses for it. I still do transcription of my own tapes for my
>> articles that I write. If you know how to type and have a medical
>> dictionary and a dictaphone, it shouldn't be a problem. All you do is
>> put the tape in the dictaphone, push the pedals, type what you hear
>> and use a dictionary for questionable words. I never had a problem
>> when doing this and I worked for both doctors and employment
>> agencies.
>
>
>
> I worked as a medical transcriptionist for five years with no training
> (3 years for a group of doctors and two years for two employment
> agencies, doing transcription for at least 20 different medical
> groups/hospitals). And then I did it at home for a while. My BIL now
> owns his own medical transcription business. He never had any
> training.
>
> Anyone who has intelligence, knows how to type, has a basic knowledge
> of medical termininology, owns a medical dictionary and can use a tape
> recorder can teach medical transcription to themselves like I did and
> like my BIL did.
>
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> --
> Sue (mom to three girls)
>

Re: Typing what you hear

"Sue" <sburke9368@wideopenwest . com > wrote in
news:k6KdnY50OuyHL47VnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@wideopenwest . com :

> Hi everyone,
>
> I am in the midst of an argument with someone who thinks they know all
> there is to know about transcription. I was helping someone else out
> on another group about training for a transcriptionist and this other
> woman pipes in. I am copying what she had to say in two posts about
> it. I am going to get back to her about this, but I was wondering if I
> could collect your infinite wisdom on things to set her straight. By
> the way, just in case no one remembers me, I mostly lurk on this group
> and have been a transcriptionist for 17 years.
>
>> Have you tried to listen to a tape and type it on your own?
>>
>> I did medical transcription for a few years and I never took any
>> courses for it. I still do transcription of my own tapes for my
>> articles that I write. If you know how to type and have a medical
>> dictionary and a dictaphone, it shouldn't be a problem. All you do is
>> put the tape in the dictaphone, push the pedals, type what you hear
>> and use a dictionary for questionable words. I never had a problem
>> when doing this and I worked for both doctors and employment
>> agencies.
>
>
>
> I worked as a medical transcriptionist for five years with no training
> (3 years for a group of doctors and two years for two employment
> agencies, doing transcription for at least 20 different medical
> groups/hospitals). And then I did it at home for a while. My BIL now
> owns his own medical transcription business. He never had any
> training.
>
> Anyone who has intelligence, knows how to type, has a basic knowledge
> of medical termininology, owns a medical dictionary and can use a tape
> recorder can teach medical transcription to themselves like I did and
> like my BIL did.
>
>
> Thanks so much.
>

They're probably the reason that doctors resort to offshore companies.
cheaper crap.

Re: Typing what you hear

Typing what you hear- I first worked in a Radiology Dept. and thought I
heard for Billroth II, ( "the big toe") and typed it. This was dictated by a
very thickly accented Spanish Doctor. She forgave me, and I learned a LOT
on the JOB. I already knew how to type, had some terminology knowledge, but
went back to Jr. College for a more indepth anatomy course (1 &2), so did
this for a while and eventually went forward but mainly stayed in X-ray. CT
scan and U/S were just coming out and this was a pretty good field at the
time. Some young girls have asked me about the field, but I told them that
they really needed some courses in Med. Terminology and Anatomy and they
seemed like this was too difficult to do-they just wanted to sit down, type,
and get started making money. I think their thinking is backwards. I have
trained many transcriptionists (some good, some bad), but as Ed stated, some
people don't recognize how important the job really is (accuracy, etc.), or
don't want to realize. It does take quite a bit of skill. Just something
for thought.

Also once when I was cross-training in Medical Records Dpet, I typed "breast
sounds" for breath sounds or something like that. Medical records was
really difficult- PE's, H&Ps, Discharge summaries, etc., I could think of
more, maybe more later.

Carol V.
"Sue" <sburke9368@wideopenwest . com > wrote in message
news:k6KdnY50OuyHL47VnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@wideopenwest . com ...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I am in the midst of an argument with someone who thinks they know all
> there is to know about transcription. I was helping someone else out on
> another group about training for a transcriptionist and this other woman
> pipes in. I am copying what she had to say in two posts about it. I am
> going to get back to her about this, but I was wondering if I could
> collect your infinite wisdom on things to set her straight. By the way,
> just in case no one remembers me, I mostly lurk on this group and have
> been a transcriptionist for 17 years.
>
>> Have you tried to listen to a tape and type it on your own?
>>
>> I did medical transcription for a few years and I never took any
>> courses for it. I still do transcription of my own tapes for my
>> articles that I write. If you know how to type and have a medical
>> dictionary and a dictaphone, it shouldn't be a problem. All you do is
>> put the tape in the dictaphone, push the pedals, type what you hear
>> and use a dictionary for questionable words. I never had a problem
>> when doing this and I worked for both doctors and employment
>> agencies.
>
>
>
> I worked as a medical transcriptionist for five years with no training
> (3 years for a group of doctors and two years for two employment
> agencies, doing transcription for at least 20 different medical
> groups/hospitals). And then I did it at home for a while. My BIL now
> owns his own medical transcription business. He never had any
> training.
>
> Anyone who has intelligence, knows how to type, has a basic knowledge
> of medical termininology, owns a medical dictionary and can use a tape
> recorder can teach medical transcription to themselves like I did and
> like my BIL did.
>
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> --
> Sue (mom to three girls)
>

Re: Typing what you hear


So much depends on the specialty as well as the dictator. I have one
psychiatrist who spells every single word that is not in the psychiatric
vernacular (thanks, doc, but I know how to spell Nexium). OTOH one can
hear something (peroneal comes to mind, or was that peritoneal) where
you may know one of those words and have no idea which goes where or in
what context. Your spellcheck might not flag it but you may be using it
as in the right spelling but in the wrong context. Combine that with
lazy dictators who don't pay attention to right versus left and the
inexperienced is very likely to produce real crap.

And just saying a person has a good grasp of the English language
doesn't mean they do. Witnessing errant apostrophes on the TV scroll or
in newspaper headlines makes me question proofreaders at all levels.


--
Mary R
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary R's Profile: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=1487
View this thread: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6652

Re: Typing what you hear

I am an avid bookaholic and seeing grammatical mistakes drives me nuts
(unless of course they are a quotation and meant to convey character). I
can't help it--no matter how much I enjoy a book when there are blatant
errors it just bugs me. Don't they have editors? Or is it as hard to find
good editors as it is good transcriptionists?

I used to typeset book manuscripts for Doubleday, and when we caught errors
we were supposed to enter a code so it would be checked and hopefully
corrected. I was told I made too many code entries.

I sometimes only got to typeset part of a book, and one particularly
interesting one I bought a copy of to read the whole story, and there, in
the section I had typeset was a glaring grammatical error I had clearly
coded, so what good did it do? No, it was not something that was essential
to part of the story, just a glaring grammatical error (I forget the details
as it was years ago, and that job went out to the Islands!)

Barb C.
"Mary R" <Mary.R.38j94h@no-mx.forums.yourdomain . com .au> wrote in message
news:Mary.R.38j94h@no-mx.forums.yourdomain . com .au...
>
> So much depends on the specialty as well as the dictator. I have one
> psychiatrist who spells every single word that is not in the psychiatric
> vernacular (thanks, doc, but I know how to spell Nexium). OTOH one can
> hear something (peroneal comes to mind, or was that peritoneal) where
> you may know one of those words and have no idea which goes where or in
> what context. Your spellcheck might not flag it but you may be using it
> as in the right spelling but in the wrong context. Combine that with
> lazy dictators who don't pay attention to right versus left and the
> inexperienced is very likely to produce real crap.
>
> And just saying a person has a good grasp of the English language
> doesn't mean they do. Witnessing errant apostrophes on the TV scroll or
> in newspaper headlines makes me question proofreaders at all levels.
>
>
> --
> Mary R
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mary R's Profile: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=1487
> View this thread: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6652
>

Re: Typing what you hear

Billboards. Nothing makes me crazier than grammatical/spelling errors on
billboards, in letters 6 feet high, for all the world to see.

Anne

"Barbara Carlson" <bbcarlson@snappydsl . net > wrote in message
news:lrGdnYDX9ZLyNYnVnZ2dnUVZ_tSknZ2d@tampabaydsl . com ...
>I am an avid bookaholic and seeing grammatical mistakes drives me nuts
>(unless of course they are a quotation and meant to convey character). I
>can't help it--no matter how much I enjoy a book when there are blatant
>errors it just bugs me. Don't they have editors? Or is it as hard to find
>good editors as it is good transcriptionists?
>
> I used to typeset book manuscripts for Doubleday, and when we caught
> errors we were supposed to enter a code so it would be checked and
> hopefully corrected. I was told I made too many code entries.
>
> I sometimes only got to typeset part of a book, and one particularly
> interesting one I bought a copy of to read the whole story, and there, in
> the section I had typeset was a glaring grammatical error I had clearly
> coded, so what good did it do? No, it was not something that was
> essential to part of the story, just a glaring grammatical error (I forget
> the details as it was years ago, and that job went out to the Islands!)
>
> Barb C.
> "Mary R" <Mary.R.38j94h@no-mx.forums.yourdomain . com .au> wrote in message
> news:Mary.R.38j94h@no-mx.forums.yourdomain . com .au...
>>
>> So much depends on the specialty as well as the dictator. I have one
>> psychiatrist who spells every single word that is not in the psychiatric
>> vernacular (thanks, doc, but I know how to spell Nexium). OTOH one can
>> hear something (peroneal comes to mind, or was that peritoneal) where
>> you may know one of those words and have no idea which goes where or in
>> what context. Your spellcheck might not flag it but you may be using it
>> as in the right spelling but in the wrong context. Combine that with
>> lazy dictators who don't pay attention to right versus left and the
>> inexperienced is very likely to produce real crap.
>>
>> And just saying a person has a good grasp of the English language
>> doesn't mean they do. Witnessing errant apostrophes on the TV scroll or
>> in newspaper headlines makes me question proofreaders at all levels.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Mary R
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Mary R's Profile: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=1487
>> View this thread: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6652
>>
>
>

Re: Typing what you hear


"Barbara Carlson" <bbcarlson@snappydsl . net > wrote in message
news:lrGdnYDX9ZLyNYnVnZ2dnUVZ_tSknZ2d@tampabaydsl . com ...
>I am an avid bookaholic and seeing grammatical mistakes drives me nuts
>(unless of course they are a quotation and meant to convey character). I
>can't help it--no matter how much I enjoy a book when there are blatant
>errors it just bugs me. Don't they have editors? Or is it as hard to find
>good editors as it is good transcriptionists?
>
> I used to typeset book manuscripts for Doubleday, and when we caught
> errors we were supposed to enter a code so it would be checked and
> hopefully corrected. I was told I made too many code entries.
>
> I sometimes only got to typeset part of a book, and one particularly
> interesting one I bought a copy of to read the whole story, and there, in
> the section I had typeset was a glaring grammatical error I had clearly
> coded, so what good did it do? No, it was not something that was
> essential to part of the story, just a glaring grammatical error (I forget
> the details as it was years ago, and that job went out to the Islands!)
>
> Barb C.


Here is the antidote to people who care about spelling and grammar:

* tinyurl . com /3luncn

lol,

ed

Re: Typing what you hear

I cannot believe the quality -- or should I say lack there of -- on the real
time reporters on closed caption! Please tell me they can do better than
that!

--
Sue -- Firefighter mom -- still rabid UW DAWG fan!
"Mary R" <Mary.R.38j94h@no-mx.forums.yourdomain . com .au> wrote in message
news:Mary.R.38j94h@no-mx.forums.yourdomain . com .au...
>
> So much depends on the specialty as well as the dictator. I have one
> psychiatrist who spells every single word that is not in the psychiatric
> vernacular (thanks, doc, but I know how to spell Nexium). OTOH one can
> hear something (peroneal comes to mind, or was that peritoneal) where
> you may know one of those words and have no idea which goes where or in
> what context. Your spellcheck might not flag it but you may be using it
> as in the right spelling but in the wrong context. Combine that with
> lazy dictators who don't pay attention to right versus left and the
> inexperienced is very likely to produce real crap.
>
> And just saying a person has a good grasp of the English language
> doesn't mean they do. Witnessing errant apostrophes on the TV scroll or
> in newspaper headlines makes me question proofreaders at all levels.
>
>
> --
> Mary R
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mary R's Profile: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=1487
> View this thread: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6652
>

Re: Typing what you hear

Some of those are so bad, I can only wonder if they're 100% voice
recognition with no editors.

Anne

"Sue" <medlawtrans@comcast . net > wrote in message
news:LpydnaZcyfHUJ4nVnZ2dnUVZ_tCrnZ2d@comcast . com ...
>I cannot believe the quality -- or should I say lack there of -- on the
>real time reporters on closed caption! Please tell me they can do better
>than that!
>
> --
> Sue -- Firefighter mom -- still rabid UW DAWG fan!

Re: Typing what you hear


Gawd, I had a psychiatrist just like that once. I told her she didn't
need to do that and she managed to stop herself.

Mary R Wrote:
> So much depends on the specialty as well as the dictator. I have one
> psychiatrist who spells every single word that is not in the psychiatric
> vernacular (thanks, doc, but I know how to spell Nexium). OTOH one can
> hear something (peroneal comes to mind, or was that peritoneal) where
> you may know one of those words and have no idea which goes where or in
> what context. Your spellcheck might not flag it but you may be using it
> as in the right spelling but in the wrong context. Combine that with
> lazy dictators who don't pay attention to right versus left and the
> inexperienced is very likely to produce real crap.
>
> And just saying a person has a good grasp of the English language
> doesn't mean they do. Witnessing errant apostrophes on the TV scroll or
> in newspaper headlines makes me question proofreaders at all levels.


--
RaeMorrill
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RaeMorrill's Profile: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/member.php?userid=982
View this thread: * w w w .scribera.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6652