Fine Tune Technology and Computer Skills

With almost all jobs these days, there is some level of technological background required. However, the vast variety of computer systems, programs, and software applications can be overwhelming. How do you decide where to spend your time (and money) when looking to upgrade your technological skills? First, make sure you have the basics. Whether you are currently employed or on the job hunt, there are some important skills we all need in today’s business world. 1. Microsoft Word and Excel – Even if you use these regularly there are always new features and upgrades. Keeping abreast of these changes will … Continue reading →

Gen Y: Another Reason for Keeping Your Skills Sharp

So you didn’t like attending school the first time (or the second time if you went to college) around and you certainly at the age of 35 or so, don’t want to take even more classes to sharpen your workforce skills. Besides, you’ve been in the job for almost twenty years now. You know the ropes: how to log into the company computer, how to do the tasks that are required of you, how to find the break room when it is time for lunch. What else is needed, you ask? With the wave of new Gen Yers graduating from … Continue reading →

Your Internet Connection as a Medical Transcriptionist – Does it Matter?

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. I already talked in the Common Denominator blog that all three types of transcription (medical, legal, and general) will want you to have high-speed Internet if at all possible, and that you may not get hired on at some transcription companies if all you have is dial-up. If you’re way out in the boonies, your only other choice for an Internet connection other than dial-up will … Continue reading →

The Technical Aspect of Working at Home as a Medical Transcriptionist

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. I just discussed how medical transcription work is primarily done at home, and I wanted to focus on how you actually do the job at home, how everything works together, and what an MT company requires of you. The most common scenario is this: A doctor sees a patient and after the patient leaves, the doctor dictates into a handheld digital recorder everything that was said … Continue reading →

Medical Transcription: Using Shorthand While Transcribing

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. Shorthand is a good compromise between AutoCorrect and Instant Text, if you are wanting something powerful, but not overly confusing. At $99.95, it is cheaper than Instant Text, although obviously not as cheap as AutoCorrect. 😉 If you want to try it out and see if it is right for you, you can try it free for 30 days and decide at the end of the … Continue reading →

Medical Transcription: Using Instant Text While Transcribing

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. Instant Text is the most powerful expander on the market. Comparing AutoCorrect to Instant Text is like comparing a baby kitten to a large powerful tiger–yeah sure they’re related, but they’re not exactly kissing cousins. That difference also shows up in the price tag: Free vs $189. If you pay $189 for something, it better do everything but the dinner dishes, and luckily, Instant Text does … Continue reading →

Medical Transcription: Using AutoCorrect While Transcribing

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. As I already said, AutoCorrect is a free program that comes with Word–no extra work has to be done to use it; if you have Word, you are set to go. (If you use Open Office, the same basic principles apply, although the set-up is going to be slightly different.) The upside to using AutoCorrect is that it is free; the downside is that its limitations … Continue reading →

Medical Transcription: Expanders are Your Friend

This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. As any medical transcriptionist will tell you, expanders truly are your friend. For anyone new to the transcription business, a text expander is a program where you can type “hpi” and it will expand out to “History of Present Illness,” a phrase used often in the MT world. This is just one example–there are literally millions more. Text expanders, when used right, can save a transcriptionist … Continue reading →

Programs to Help You Make the Switch

If you are thinking about switching from Qwerty to Dvorak, there are a couple of things to bear in mind. First of all, the switch probably isn’t going to benefit you a whole lot unless you have a job that has you typing a lot, like computer programming, freelance writing, transcription–jobs like that. If your job is flipping burgers or ringing up customers, you aren’t going to be typing enough to justify the time and agony involved with switching keyboards. This doesn’t mean that you can’t teach your kids the Dvorak layout, however. Even if our generation was too dumb … Continue reading →

Learning the Dvorak Keyboard

Back when I had wanted to be a medical transcriptionist, I had read up on Dvorak idea, and decided that if I was going to be a professional typist for the rest of my natural born life, I better do it in the easiest possible way for my body. I started that night on using the Dvorak keyboard. I won’t kid you–it was Hades for me at first. There is nothing worse than striking keys instinctively and seeing only gibberish on the screen. It is a mind-bending experience. Typing is instinctive. You don’t ponder and think and wonder about which … Continue reading →