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sci.med.transcription Frequently Asked Questions (SMT FAQ) Update

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JulieW8

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Sep 2, 2007, 1:26:45 PM9/2/07

http://www.mtexchange.com/smtfaq.htm

Sci.Med.Transcription Frequently Asked Questions
Maintained by Julianne Weight
Special thanks to Melinda Meahan for compiling the original version
and maintaining it from 1999 - 6/15/2001

Last Updated 9/01/07. This is always a FAQ-in-progress. Suggestions
for improvement, corrections, content contributions, etc. are always
welcome.

THIS FAQ IN ITS ENTIRETY IS COPYRIGHT 1999-2001 BY MELINDA MEAHAN and
2001 BY JULIANNE WEIGHT. IT MAY BE REPRODUCED FREELY FOR
NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES IN ITS ENTIRETY AND WITH THIS COPYRIGHT
STATEMENT INTACT AS LONG AS THE AUTHOR RECEIVES NOTIFICATION OF ITS
REPRODUCTION AND FEEDBACK ON THE REACTIONS THAT THE DISTRIBUTION MAY
CAUSE. THIS FAQ MAY BE DISTRIBUTED, POSTED, ETC. FOR FINANCIAL GAIN OR
BY A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY ONLY WITH THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY PARTS OF THIS FAQ TO YOUR OWN WEB PAGE; INSTEAD,
PLEASE PROVIDE A LINK TO THIS PAGE. THANK YOU.

PORTIONS OF THIS FAQ ARE WRITTEN BY OTHERS, WHO RETAIN THE COPYRIGHT
ON WHAT THEY HAVE WRITTEN AND HAVE GRACIOUSLY ALLOWED THEIR THOUGHTS
TO BE INCLUDED HERE.

This article is provided as is without any express or implied
warranties. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy
of the information contained in this article, the
author/maintainer/contributors assume(s) no responsibility for errors
or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information
contained herein.

The current version of this FAQ is posted to the newsgroup
sci.med.transcription occasionally. Comments, requests for permission
to redistribute, etc. may be emailed to Julianne Weight.

If you are reading this as a text version, you will need to delete the
spaces on each side of the @ signs for authors of portions of the FAQ
to get their correct email address. This is to foil spammers'
email-skimming software. The hyperlinks on the web site, however, will
give you the correct address without the need to delete excess spaces.
Thanks for your understanding.

How to Access SMT

PART 1: How Do I Get Into MT?
PART 2: Getting Your First Job
PART 3: Some Sources For Reference Material
PART 4: MT Resources in Cyberspace
PART 5: Newsgroup Participation

Sunday, Sweet Sunday (a poem)
Word Help
Netiquette
Emoticons

PART 6: The Original RFD and Charter for sci.med.transcription

How a new participant approaches a newsgroup and posting etiquette
(also known as Netiquette) is an important factor in acceptance by the
newsgroup "regulars" and having an overall experience that is
positive.

The Core Rules of Netiquette
(http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html)

What is Spam... and why not to do it
(http://kb.indiana.edu/data/afne.html)

How to cancel an article you've already posted (hint: it's best not to
post it in the first place, but just in case you did and now you've
changed your mind...) (http://nnqweb.tripod.com/cancel.html)

What newsgroups are and how they work
(http://nnqweb.tripod.com/how-it-works.html)

How to Access SMT
Newsgroups

sci.med.transcription (SMT) (Google Groups)
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.transcription
Usenet is now owned by Google and can be accessed through Google
Groups (click on link). See below for alternative methods of accessing
this newgroup.

SMT is the oldest MT group on the Internet. There is no moderator and
posts cannot be deleted.

SMT @ Scribera http://www.scribera.org/
Scribera is a mirror portal to SMT.

Through AOL:
AOL Keyword to access Sci Med Transcription (unread messages) -
aol://5862:126/sci.med.transcription.

Individual.net server
If you don't have a news server through your own ISP (or you just
aren't happy with the service), this site has minimal fee server
access. You must register and it takes about two days for them to send
information with your password, login and configuration (but it's
free!). You must have a newsgroup reader.

Other newsgroup servers:
There are many other newsgroup servers available at a variety of costs
but very few are free. Your ISP may also have a newsgroup server
available as part of your service. Look at their customer service or
technical support pages for information. For example, Earthlink's news
servers are news.east.earthlink.net or news.west.earthlink.net. To
find the newsgroup server for your ISP, search for NNTP or usenet
server information. To use any of the newsgroup servers, you must have
a newsgroup reader.

News Readers

Xnews: Download from download.com. (Free)
http://www.download.com/Xnews/3000-2164_4-10144167.html?tag=lst-0-1

Free Agent: There is a free version. The paid version (approximately
$30) has additional features not available in the free version.
http://www.forteinc.com/agent/download.php

Mozilla Thunderbird: Combination e-mail client and newsgroup reader.
Open source (free) available from Mozilla.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Outlook Express: All Windows computers have Outlook Express, which
comes with a newsgroup reader.

These are only some of the newsgroup readers available but seem to be
the most popular.

What is a newsgroup reader and why do you need one?
(http://www.newsgroupservers.net/usenet_groups/usenet_newsgroup_newsreaders.htm)
Excellent discussion from newsgroupservers.net. Also included are
links to various newsgroup readers available for Windows, Mac and Palm
OS.

What is Usenet and why should you pay extra for premium
usenet/newsgroup service? (http://www.newsgroupservers.net/)
Good explanation of Usenet. Also lists various newsgroup servers and
rates them. Check first with your ISP - most ISPs have newsgroup
server (NNTP) included with their service. If you pay for access, make
certain it is not metered or filtered.
PART 1: HOW DO I GET INTO MT? IS IT FOR ME?

This section of the FAQ was written by Melinda Meahan.

Q: I read an ad that if I can type or am willing to learn, I can learn
MT and make $25,000 a year working part time. How can I get in on
this?

A: MTs are generally paid by the line of produced output. A rank
beginner might not even earn minimum wage to start with, according to
various online reports of peoples' personal experiences.

At a representative pay as an employee of 7 cents per line, a new MT
is going to earn right around minimum wage if they are lucky. The
typical output of a reasonably competent MT at the local office of
major service I used to work at was around 200 (65-character) lines
per hour, and that equals about $29,000 per year. MTs working as
independents have reported speeds of up to 500 lines per hour, but
that can hardly be considered a representative speed to use as a
benchmark for all MT work in general.

THERE IS NO CAREER LADDER IN MT! Any MT should be expected to do any
work that gets thrown to him/her. A newer MT will take longer and
therefore earn less pay.

Q: Isn't MT a great way to work at home and be home with my young
children?

A: MTs are paid on a production basis -- by the line, by the word, by
the page, etc.. It is possible (and I am not the only person who has
done it) to work at home and ride herd on small fry while doing MT at
the same time. However, your children MUST be well disciplined to
leave you alone and let you work! Alternatively, you may want to hire
someone to come into your home to watch your children for a few hours
a day so you can get some uninterrupted work time. Any time spent
dealing or interacting with children during your "work hours" is time
for which you will not be paid.

I am not trying to discourage anybody, as I have done almost all of
the above, but I want to make it clear what is involved in doing MT at
home with small fry.

Q: How do I learn to be an MT?

A: There are a number of correspondence programs around as well as
vocational programs at local vocational schools or junior or business
colleges. A thorough education in MT would include a strong grounding
in English grammar, anatomy and physiology courses, pharmacology
courses, and lots of practice from real doctors (not actors playing
the part of doctors). A number of vocational programs also include an
internship at a local hospital or similar facility, which is a real
plus. A good MT course will probably be taught and/or administered by
a MT or at least someone with a medical background.

A list of MT courses can be found at MT Desk's Websites By and For MTs
at http://www.mtdesk.com.

A good MT course generally:

* is run by an MT or a former MT
* includes a thorough education in anatomy, physiology, and
pharmacology
* has authentic dictation and lots of it as part of course work
* follows the model curriculum published by the AAMT
(http://www.aamt.org).
* Takes at least six months and up to two years to complete.
* Offers full training in everything a new MT might be expected to
do, as opposed to a "cram course" type of program.
* Assists students formally or informally with getting into the
field after they graduate
* might offer an internship
* might find mentors (usually volunteers) for students
* won't make unrealistic promises (i.e., "You can earn $50,000 a
year part time in between diaper changes and chauffeuring children to
their soccer games," "You can decide what hours you want to work,"
etc.)

Q: I can type fast (or, I am a RN who is burning out, etc.) How can I
get my first job as an MT?

A: MT is more than just typing. You have to have a strong grounding in
English grammar. You have to be able to think on your feet. More and
more, you have to have a good ear for foreign accents. And you have to
know medical terminology well, because if you think that doctors'
handwriting is bad, their dictation is worse! So it's not so easy.

For a mom (or anybody else) who wants a job that is intellectually
stimulating and who is willing to do the job right (i.e., look
everything up they aren't positive about and re-listen as many times
as needed until they understand what Dr. Mushmouth is saying), put the
job first when it needs to come first (i.e., treat it like a job
instead of a hobby), and who is willing to start out at low pay (or no
pay until they find a job) and work their way up to a reasonable and
steady income, there aren't too many better things you can do.
PART 2: GETTING YOUR FIRST JOB

This "How do I get my first job" portion of the FAQ is used by the
kind permission of Peggy LaChance at digitalcmt @ mindspring.com, and
I am sure she wishes to retain the copyright on this material. Please
do not use it without her permission.

I quote Peggy:

Speaking as someone who's been around a while, I can tell you that
you'll be far more successful in entering this career if you approach
it from a more realistic standpoint.

The truth is that it will be very, very difficult to find someone who
will allow you to work at home at first because they recognize that
you simply do not have the experience/training to be able to do this
successfully. Letting you do this will be bad for them ... and for
you.

You'll be able to find a job faster working in-house, you'll learn
more and you'll learn it at a faster rate, and THEN you can go home.
You'll also be likely to make better money working in-house.

It's sad that so many people hook up with courses which give them
unreasonable expectations about the job market in medical
transcription, but it's nice to be able to hear the truth on SMT --
even if it is a bit belated.

This is not easy work. The reality isn't even close to the tapes you
used in your course. Your course probably didn't even correctly
communicate the variety in the types of dictation that we do, much
less prepare you to transcribe it.

This field requires coursework which is the equivalent of a 2-year
college program, and then requires 2-3 years of supervised experience
thereafter before you can truly be able to work independently with a
variety of transcription.

The best way to get your foot in the door is to go work for someone
on-site until you've learned enough to work on your own. At that
point, you'll never be without a job.

Services and institutions are literally desperate to find qualified
MTs -- MTs who have a documented ability to do excellent work without
supervision. There aren't enough of these people to meet the demand.
There are lots of people who just took a course, but they can't hire
any of them because their training is incomplete and they can't do the
work.

Everyone who is having trouble finding a job after taking a course
needs to read this post and see the reality of this work instead of
the fantasy. This job requires a broad background in medical language
and science AND experience, and the only way to get that is to take a
reputable course and then work in a supervised position for a few
years.

PART 3: SUPPLY AND REFERENCE SOURCES FOR MTs

* Software
* Equipment
* Supplies
* Reference Materials and Periodicals

SOFTWARE

Medpen (http://www.mpword.com/)
E-Mail: support @ medpen.net
Orders: 1 (800) 579-4300
Address: Emmaus MedPen, 3131 Emmaus Way Cosby, TN 37722
Medpen automates formatting, address insertion, line counting,
naming/saving, invoicing, etc.

Expanders:

Shorthand (www.pcshorthand.com)
Very much like PRD+ and you can convert your PRD files.

SpeedType (http://www.speedtype.com)
407-880-2189 Fax: 407-880-8461
Expansion software for Windows. This program is the same as Shorthand.

Instant Text (http://www.spellex.com)
Robust expansion program. Can convert PRD+ files.

Medical Spellcheck:

Spellex Development (http://www.spellex.com)
1-800-442-WORD
Electronic spellers.

Stedman's Electronic Dictionary (http://www.stedmans.com/)
The electronic dictionary is only one of many products for MTs by
Stedman's.

Dorland's (http://www.dorlands.com/)
Spellcheck add-on and much more.

Line Counters:

Sylvan Software (http://www.sylvansoft.com)
1-800-235-9455 Fax: 719-495-8119
Medical/pharmaceutical dictionaries: Wordperfect DOS or WIN, MS Word
Sylcount Line count: WP DOS or WIN.

Practicount and Invoice for Windows (http://www.practiline.com)
This line count program counts a variety of file formats, including
XLS and PDF. It creates a nice detail report and invoice. Very
customizable and accurate.

The Abacus (http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/)
Line count for MS Word only. Fairly customizable and accurate.

EQUIPMENT

Bytescribe Development Company (http://www.bytescribe.com)
Phone: 205-425-1981 Fax: 205-298-0004
Birmingham, AL
Orator PRO multiline digital dictation and transcription system,
digital handheld recorders, WavPlayer, and other supplies.

Neal Brown's Solutions! Ebay Store
(http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZsolutionsQ21)
Fully refurbished used analog transcribers. These are excellent for
students and others still using analog transcribing.

Transcription Gear (www.transcriptiongear.com)
Recorders, call-in systems, transcription equipment and call-in rental
service.

Martel Electronics Sales (http://www.martelelectronics.com)
1-800-553-5536
Discount transcribing equipment

R. T. King Company (http://www.transcribers.com)
310-320-6691
Specializes in new and used transcribing machines for the medical
transcriptionist. Sells and services all makes and models (except
Panasonic).

Dick Cummins, 21st Century Research
1-800-563-5418 Fax: 619-284-2940
San Diego, California
Sells and services PC-Dart, Dictaphone, etc. for San Diego area and
areas where there is no local rep

ECS
800-427-0929
Sells headsets and also foot pedals. Prices range from $19 to $79. The
brands include Sony, Olympus, Norelco, Dictaphone. The styles include
stethoscope and stereo style.

SUPPLIES

Forms and Filing Systems, Inc. (http://www.mdfile.net/)
Phone: 800-472-0171 Fax: 706-802-1880
Rome, GA
Transcription labels, chart, chart dividers

Pat Systems (http://www.transpaper.com)
Phone: 800-543-1911 Fax: 972-539-7321
Flower Mound, TX
Transcription labels ("sticky paper"), SoftFlex computer gloves.

Reliable Office Solutions
800-735-4000 voice, or fax 24 hours 800-326-3233
Transcription labels and office supplies - Free same day shipping

Medical Arts Press
1-800-328-2179 voice, or fax 24 hours 1-800-328-0023
Transcription labels and office supplies
REFERENCE MATERIALS AND PERIODICALS

Stedman's (http://www.stedmans.com)
Phone: 1-800-527-5597, Fax: 1-800-447-8438
Stedman's Word Books, electronic dictionaries, etc.

Elsevier/Dorland's (http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/)
800-545-2522
Dorland's reference books, electronic dictionary, etc.

Health Professions Institute (http://www.hpisum.com)
(209) 551-2112 voice, (209) 551-0404 fax
Word/phrase books SUM MT course

MT Monthly (http://www.mtmonthly.com)
1-800-951-5559
Semimonthly newsletter with word helps, information, etc.

The Latest Word
Phone: 1-800-654-2452
Semimonthly newsletter

Monthly Prescribing Reference
800-436-9269
Current drug information. Ask for special rate for medical
transcriptionists.

Lexi-Comp Products (http://store.lexi.com/lexistore/)
References include the Drug Information Handbook for both regular
drugs and dentistry, Infectious Diseases Handbook, and Laboratory Test
Handbook.

Neil M. Davis (http://www.neilmdavis.com)
Abbreviations book. Web site has place to add new abbreviations to the
next edition of their book.

Facts and Comparisons
phone 800-777-2295 fax 301-824-7390
American Drug Index and the Quarterly Drug Index

Advance for Health Information Professionals
(http://health-information.advanceweb.com/main.aspx)
Free monthly magazine.

Physicians Telephone Directory, Inc.
(http://www.thelittlebluebook.com)
302 West Main Street, Suite 206, Avon, CT 06001-9962
Tel: 860-409-7000 Fax 860-674-8893
The Little Blue Book

Microref (http://www.microref.com/fs_red.htm)
Microref Systems, Inc.
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 3012
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Tel: (312) 641-1404 Fax: (312) 641-1408
Please send comments or questions to: in...@microref.com
Computer shortcuts and productivity; keyboard overlays; quick
reference cards; desktop publishing rules

PART 4: MT RESOURCES IN CYBERSPACE

Internet sites and online service areas of interest to MTs.

* Mailing lists
* Chats
* Basic Cyber Reference Library
* Key MT Web Sites
* Schools
* Organizations
* MT Online Service

Mailing Lists:

KAMT (Keeping Abreast of Medical Transcription) List
(http://www.wwma.com/kamt/ka00001.html)
Focus is on already-working MTs.
Follow instructions at the link to join the group, hosted at Yahoo!

Medspeech - medical speech recognition users mailing list - John
Leipsic, MD, Listmaster
To subscribe, send e-mail to majo...@list.sirius.com with: subscribe
medspeech yourname@address in the body of the message

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) MT Chat:

#MT-Helpline on Sandnet: Information at
http://www.mtdesk.com/guidelines.shtml
Open at all times, scheduled help time and chat at M-F 1 p.m. and 8
p.m. Eastern. Experienced and new MTs welcome. Contact is Nancy M.
Greene at stat @ cdsnet.net.

#New-MTs on Sandnet: Information at
http://www.mtecinc.com/studentchat.htm
8 p.m. ET. This chat is specifically for M-TEC students. Contact:
sfra...@mtecinc.com

If you need more information to get to the chats, check out Vander's
Medical Transcription: Let's Chat page at
http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/mtchat.html. Just don't read
anything before reading the AOL Instructions (page down a screen or
two) on that page if you are on AOL, or it won't work.

BASIC MT CYBER REFERENCE LIBRARY

MT Reference (http://www.mtreference.com)
Links built by and for MTs of best sites to research terms, anatomy,
physiology, pharmacology, surgical procedures, specialties, style and
usage, productivity and the MT online community. Free site. Links are
automatically checked so there are no "dead links" in this directory.

RXList (www.rxlist.com)
This site has been redesigned and it isn't as helpful as it used to
be.

Merck Manual (www.merck.com)

Medline: National Library of Medicine (term verification)
http://medworld.stanford.edu/medworld/researchcorner.html

KEY MT WEB SITES

Elsevier | MT Desk (http://www.mtdesk.com)
CONTENTS: Word lists by specialty, the famous New Terms and Equipment
lists, lots of links to other medical sites. Message areas and
discussion forums are at http://www.mtchat.com.

MT Exchange (http://www.mtexchange.com)
MT blogs, information and idea exchange, classified ads.

Productivity Talk
(http://www.productivitytalk.com/forums/index.php?act=idx)
The best site with the best experts on productivity enhancement tools
and how to use your computer and software.

MT Spot (http://mtspot.com/)
Lively community with links to other discussion forums started and
maintained by individual MTs.

MT Stars (http://forum.mtstars.com/main/)
Discussion forum for MTs. Heavily moderated.

MT Daily (http://www.mtdaily.com)
Subscription discussion forums. Formerly one of the more active MT
communities on the web.

Humor:

Da Nose (http://www.da-nose.com/)
Da Nose touches on the everyday foibles of the online community and MT
life in general.

Empty Stars (http://www.emptystars.net)
They're stars, and they're empty. Reviews, editorials, blogs and more.

SCHOOLS

Schools that have earned the AAMT approval:

M-TEC (http://www.mtecinc.com/)

Andrews School (http://www.andrewsschool.com/)

Career Step (http://www.careerstep.com/)

Lakeshore Technical College (http://www.gotoltc.edu/)

TRS Institute (http://www.transrs.com/)

Exact-Med/United Tribes Transcription Training
(http://www.exactmed.com/)

CanScribe Career Centre (http://www.canscribe.com/)

ORGANIZATIONS

American Association for Medical Transcription (http://www.aamt.org)
CONTENTS: Sells AAMT Book of Style. Administers Medical
Transcriptionist Certification Program. Offers continuing education
for MTs. Bimonthly publication, Journal of American Association for
Medical Transcription (JAAMT).

Medical Transcription Industry Alliance (http://www.mtia.com)
CONTENTS: Organization for MT service owners. Has links list,
publications listing, other interesting information about the
industry.

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION ON ONLINE SERVICES

(information on other services would also be gladly received)

AOL: Use the keyword function (Command-K/Mac, Control-K/Windows) and
type in medical transcription and then look for the boards (there is
no longer a direct keyword to the boards). From inside AOL, the direct
link is: aol://5863:126/mBLA:128708. Forums are moderated by
LDRSW...@aol.com - e-mail Rae if you have questions.

CHATS: AOL and AIM users

Thursday evening chat for AOL and AIM people only 6:00 Pacific 7:00
Mtn 8:00 Central 9:00 Eastern To be added to the weekly reminder and
Buddy List : Email to Judi...@aol.com with NEW LIST in Subject line
To be added to Judity's Buddy List only: Email with NEW BUDDY in
Subject line AIM only: Please include your AIM and email names.

NEWSGROUP ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS:

AOL has changed it's message boards, and these forums are no longer
moderated by Community Leaders as in the past. You may access the
Medical Transcription Forums from inside AOL by entering this address:
aol://5863:126/mBLA:128708. The Message Board formats have also
changed, though some are still able to view these in the old-fashioned
AOL board style.

You no longer need AOL at all to read these Message Boards. You can
access them at this address:
http://messageboards.aol.com/aol/en_us/boards.php?boardId=128708&func=2&channel=Find+a+Job

As there are no longer Community Leaders for AOL Message Boards, Rae
Morrill is no longer the moderator; however, you may e-mail her at
RaeMo...@aol.com if you have any difficulty getting to the boards
and she will be happy to help if she can.

Business Know-How Forums:
http://boards.netscape.com/netbusiness/brdlist.mbl?boardId=128708
These recently moved to the W3 as a result of restructuring by AOL.
You must have an AIM screen name to log into the forums from W3 and
then can participate the same as users within AOL

PART 5: GETTING THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM YOUR NEWSGROUP PARTICIPATION

Many thanks to Tony Sheppard for this lighthearted look at the ups and
downs of sci.med.transcription. This is just to say that not everybody
takes everything on the newsgroup seriously.

The sailboats on the Gulf are great,
The dolphins are at play;
The sun is warm and wonderful,
Another gorgeous day.

While over at the hospital,
ER is in full swing;
So all the weekend warriors
Still get to 'do their thing.'

But Lo! Companionship abounds,
Who says that we're alone?
More threads than many blankets have,
More drugs and terms unknown!

The sensitivity this week
Beats Oprah by a mile;
"Professionals," we call ourselves,
That means we flame with style!

At times we take someone apart
>From safe behind our screen;
Amazing, all we think we know
Of folks we've never seen.

Within each person there's a heart,
And feelings, too, we know;
We've all been hurt, so what the h___ --
Let's tell 'em where to go!

But all in all, we still hang in
When others need, we're there;
It's just a little hard to see
Sometimes how much we care.

The work's frustrating as can be
That's true for everyone;
The folks here really understand,
That helps to get it done.

So, even tho' the weather's nice,
I'm sure that you'll agree;
It's not quite as 'fulfilling' as
A week on S.M.T!

Happy Sunday, everyone, and thanks for being here!

The following section is written by Peggy LaChance at digitalcmt @
mindspring.com

Looking to post a word help question to SMT?

You're welcome to post them here. We have a number of really good MTs
who are available to help. We do our best, but it's sometimes
difficult to be very helpful -- not because the word is difficult, but
because we don't have enough information to make a good decision.
Sometimes, we can't help because we can't find the post to begin with.

There are some things you can do to make it easier for us to help you.

If you are asking for help, post your word help in a NEW ARTICLE, not
as a response to *another* word help question. That way, we'll all see
it. It will stand out, all by itself, in the newest postings we've
received, and we can answer it promptly.

If you post your new question as a part of somebody else's word help
thread, you run the almost certain risk that we won't see it. We don't
always read the responses to word helps -- we only post help.

Second, provide us with enough information to make an reasonable
decision about your word. You need to provide us with the exact text
quote, with the word in question spelled "fon et ti cal ly" in as
neutral a manner as possible. Don't try to make up a word that it
sounds like -- just give us the raw sounds. Most of the time, we'll
know what you need just based on the quoted text surrounding the word
you need. It also helps to provide the other relevant information
("context") from the report. If you don't have this information, or
the text, be prepared for us to tell you that we can't help much -- we
rely on the context.

Third, tell us exactly what references you searched which didn't help
and how you looked up what you didn't find. That enables us to avoid
wasting time with references which won't produce. It will also enable
us to help you develop an appropriate reference library and the skill
to use it.

And if someone does suggest more appropriate references or some
continuing education, or if someone does provide some little hints on
how to use the ones you have, accept this with a welcoming heart, eh
Grasshopper?

Finally, one reminder to all those helpful folks out there -- please
cite your sources when you provide word help assistance! It's not
enough to provide a spelling -- the person who needs the word also
needs a documented source. It's not enough to just say someone told
you what it was.

Netiquette

/net'ee-ket/ or /net'i-ket/ /n./ The conventions of politeness
recognized on Usenet, such as avoidance of cross-posting to
inappropriate groups and refraining from commercial pluggery outside
the biz groups.

Basics of Usenet Netiquette:

* Do not post private e-mail conversations to the newsgroup
* Using caps lock is SHOUTING. Use upper and lower case and caps
only for emphasis.
* Do not post chain mail.
* Check at Urban Legends (http://www.snopes2.com/) site before
posting pleas for help, e-petitions, virus warnings or other bandwidth
and time wasters.
* Ignore trolls (people who post with deliberate intent to flame).
* Resist saying anything that cannot be backed up with proof or
that you wouldn't say if the person you're addressing was standing in
front of you.
* Posts with HTML tags is not well read and your message will be
lost.
* Try to include a quote from another poster to whom you are
responding so the rest of us don't have to wonder what you're talking
about.
* Give credit where credit is due -- include the poster's name
with the quote.
* Keep signature lines short.
* Remember you're in the Internet time zone. If you live on the
East Coast, don't post the outcome of a television show or sporting
event. If you must, include the words SPOILER ALERT in the subject
line.
* Off topic posts should include OT in the subject line.

Emoticons

An emoticon is the text expression of emotion (slang for emotional
icon). Be sure to sprinkle your posts with emoticons, as they assist
the readers in judging the intent of your words, absent voice and
facial expression. If you are unfamiliar with emoticons, visit Bronwen
and Claire's Really Huge Emoticon Collection.
(http://www.angelfire.com/hi/hahakiam/emoticon.html)

PART 6: THE ORIGINAL RFD AND CHARTER FOR SCI.MED.TRANSCRIPTION

From jwt2 @ pge.com Tue Jun 21 19:48:56 1994
Path: uunet!bounce-back
From: jwt2 @ pge.com (Jim Trudeau)
Newsgroups: news.announce.newgroups,news.groups,sci.med
Subject: RFD: sci.med.transcription
Followup-To: news.groups
Date: 21 Jun 1994 17:48:19 -0400
Organization: pge.com
Lines: 74
Sender: tale @ uunet.uu.net
Approved: tale @ uunet.uu.net
Message-ID: <2u7n73$o...@rodan.UU.NET
NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net
Xref: uunet news.announce.newgroups:5243 news.groups:106816
sci.med:90659

This is an official Request for Discussion (RFD) on the creation of a
new newsgroup called (probably) "sci.med.transcription".

Group name: sci.med.transcription
Status: unmoderated
Distribution: world-wide
Summary: A newsgroup for the discussion of all aspects of the medical
transcription profession
Proposed by: Jim Trudeau
Internet ......... jwt2 @ pge.com
CompuServe ....... 74252 , 360
America Online ... Jim Trudeau

JUSTIFICATION

Currently there are thousands of medical transcriptionists (MT's)
working from their homes, doctor's offices, and in hospitals who find
it difficult to share professional information with each other. While
some MT's can be found on Prodigy, GENIE, CompuServe, and a variety of
small BBS's, there is a need to provide a unifying channel of
communications to bring MT's together on a worldwide basis.

An Internet newsgroup is the preferred method of providing this
channel of communications. GENIE, Delphi, and AOL currently provide
newsgroup access, and CompuServe plans to offer it within 6 months. A
newsgroup will provide a commonly accessible method of communicating
between the users of all of these on-line systems. It will also serve
those MT's who are directly connected to the Internet (Colleges, some
hospitals, etc.).

A newsgroup is being proposed instead of a mailing list or list server
because most MT's access the Internet via commercial on-line systems.
The volume of mail that such a list would generate would create could
cause a financial barrier to active MT participation. As an example
the CompuServe forum for MT's has 30-40 messages per day, and the
other on-line services would add additional message traffic.

CHARTER

This would be an unmoderated newsgroup providing a forum for the
discussion of all aspects of the profession of medical transcription.
These discussions would include, but are not be limited to:

- The spelling and defining of medical terminology
- Introduction of new medical terminology to MT's
- Discussions about specialized equipment MT's use
- Discussions on continuing professional training
- Guidance for new MT's just entering the profession
- Discussions on software and hardware used by MT's
- Spreading the word about job opportunities
- General social interaction

ADMINISTRIVIA (Administrative trivia)

This RFD is being issued in accordance with the guidelines set in the
"USENET Newsgroup Creation Companion" that is regularly posted to
news.announce.newgroups.

After this RFD is posted on news.announce.newgroups it will be posted
in the forums on CompuServe, GENIE, America Online, and Prodigy where
MT's are known to be found. I will also have a copy of this RFD sent
to two publications that are widely read by MT's: Journal of the
American Association of Medical Transcription (JAAMT) and MT Monthly.
By this I hope to entice even more MT's to "get plugged in" to any one
of the services that can provide Internet access.

RESULT
unmoderated group sci.med.transcription

passes 163:17
There were 163 YES votes and 17 NO votes, for a total of 180 valid
votes. There were 2 abstains.

For group passage, YES votes must be at least 2/3 of all valid (YES
and NO) votes. There also must be at least 100 more YES votes than NO
votes. There is a five day discussion period after these results are
posted. If no serious allegations of voting irregularities are raised,
the moderator of news.announce.newgroups will create the group shortly
thereafter. Newsgroups line: sci.med.transcription Info for and about
medical transcriptionists. This vote is being conducted by a neutral
third party. For voting questions only contact rdippold@ qualcomm.com.
For questions about the proposed group contact Jim Trudeau (jwt @
pge.com).

CHARTER

This would be an unmoderated newsgroup providing a forum for the
discussion of all aspects of the profession of medical transcription.
These discussions would include, but are not be limited to:

Currently there are thousands of medical transcriptionists (MT's)
working from their homes, doctor's offices, and in hospitals who find
it difficult to share professional information with other MT's. While
MT's can be found on Prodigy, GENIE, CompuServe, America Online, and a
variety of small BBS's, there is a need to provide a unifying channel
of communications to bring MT's together on a worldwide basis. The
sci.med.transcription newsgroup will do this.

sci.med.transcription Final Vote Ack

Voted Yes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
70410...@compuserve.com Joe Patterson
70672...@compuserve.com Brian
71175...@compuserve.com Ella Hudson
7130...@compuserve.com Michele Chavez
71740...@compuserve.com Ellen Atwood
71763...@compuserve.com Mary Morken
7306...@compuserve.com Glenna Zeman
73320...@compuserve.com Susan Powell
73474...@compuserve.com Roger Deming
73524...@compuserve.com Mary S. Leggewie
73622...@compuserve.com Barbara Beier
73663...@compuserve.com Terry Williams
73672...@compuserve.com Sandy Breitenbach
73752...@compuserve.com Mary S. Burgamy
73767...@compuserve.com Debra L. Bruels
74170...@compuserve.com Jorge/Judy Resendiz
74201...@compuserve.com SCOTT T. KULLA
74213...@compuserve.com Anna M. Sargent
7436...@compuserve.com Shelsie Blake
74401...@compuserve.com KELLY L. ALLEN
74443...@compuserve.com Susan R. Campbell
74663...@compuserve.com Shelley A. Quackenbush
75104...@compuserve.com Jo P. Hinson
75750...@compuserve.com Carol Deason
76470...@compuserve.com Ed Lovell
ae...@freenet.carleton.ca Nigel Allen
Ala...@aol.com
alc...@freenet.columbus.oh.us Anne Carle
ALF1%MgrStf%SjrS...@bangate.pge.com
an...@Unify.Com Anna Carlile
Anne...@aol.com
a...@backdoor.com
at...@dpesp2.radsci.uci.edu
au...@cs.albany.edu Jim Ault
b.az...@genie.geis.com
b.ro...@genie.geis.com
bgr...@wimsey.com
Bo Graham b...@herbison.com B.J. Herbison
ble...@nomos.com Alan Bleier
bplo...@smtpgwy.ssmhc.com Ploegstra, Barbara
Bru...@eworld.com
Bu...@aol.com
cam...@cs.cornell.edu Pauline Cameron
car...@backdoor.com
CARO...@delphi.com
Chee...@aol.com
CHG...@prodigy.com MS JENNIFER L MARTIN
chr...@indirect.com Chris Tieman
Clau...@ix.netcom.com Claudia Dizenzo
clst...@mailbox.syr.edu Chris Stamper
coma...@backdoor.com
Cudd...@aol.com
CY...@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA Arlene Greenberg
da...@crl.com Peter Campbell
dbh...@ucdavis.edu David B. Hill
dco...@clark.net David Conner
d...@hpato.aus.hp.com Dominique Latour
dha...@cse.ogi.edu David Hansen
dh...@backdoor.com
Diak...@aol.com
DJD8%IAD%Au...@bangate.pge.com
DJO1%TRAIN%SF...@bangate.pge.com
dj...@ctp.amdahl.com Dennis Parker
dma...@netcom.com
dma...@netcom.com
dnmi...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu David Neal Miller
DRA1%QC%DC...@bangate.pge.com
dsco...@pacific.pacific.net David Scollin
dwal...@cs.Princeton.EDU Dan Wallach
DWHa%CnoOpt%C...@bangate.pge.com
dw...@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu Ding Wu
eb...@acpub.duke.edu Edwin Cox M.D.
efr...@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu Ed Frank
epi...@ll.iac.es Epidemiologia
er...@com.varian.com
FERL...@obgyn.amc.edu Ferlazzo,John
fly...@queernet.org Carlos Mosca
fly...@backdoor.com
fmon...@enterprise.America.com Fred Monsour
GDJ...@prodigy.com MS PAMELA Y ROBERTS
givi...@backdoor.com
GLSh%ESCS%P...@bangate.pge.com
gry...@backdoor.com
h.sp...@krypta.in-berlin.de Heiko Spallek
hal...@powertech.no Halvor R Johansen
Hat...@aol.com
Hat...@aol.com
HMU...@prodigy.com MS SUSAN C TISCHLER
hug...@backdoor.com
IDE...@UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU
IKL1%AsiAds%C...@bangate.pge.com
j.mar...@genie.geis.com
j.r...@genie.geis.com
j...@TFS.COM Jeff Bowles
jdw...@bev.net Judy Wood
jlp...@stud.med.cornell.edu Joeseph Lewis Perez
jmd...@kquest.com Jose M. daLuz
JMJ6%ESCS%P...@bangate.pge.com
jm...@midway.uchicago.edu Jill M. Nicolaus
JoanM...@aol.com
j...@sudbury.win.net Joe Weber
Joe...@aol.com
JRSn%TsPm%P...@bangate.pge.com
jul...@netcom.com JULIANNE WEIGHT
JWR1%CssTsc%C...@bangate.pge.com
JWT2%MktStf%SvrS...@bangate.pge.com
k.du...@genie.geis.com
kand...@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu Kari Anderson
KAR...@WSUHUB.UC.TWSU.EDU
king...@utdallas.edu
k...@biosym.com Kathleen Kearney Moore
l.w...@genie.geis.com
L1...@ZFN.UNI-BREMEN.DE Martin Schroeder
lac...@dmp.csiro.au Lachlan Cranswick
law...@fasttax.com Chuck Lawson
LEC1%CssSar%C...@bangate.pge.com
LLL7%SpsStf%Ggr...@bangate.pge.com
lud...@metronet.com
mari...@ccnet.com Marianne Wolfman
MASc%PRS%M...@bangate.pge.com
mc...@eskimo.com Ming Chen
MCH...@delphi.com
MFMi...@aol.com
Michael...@Dartmouth.EDU Michael B. Mayor
m...@ucs.edinburgh.ac.uk M J O Clark
mma...@alb.asctmd.com
moe...@cip.med-informatik.uni-hildesheim.de
mra...@u.washington.edu Mike Rabin
MTMo...@aol.com
MWC...@prodigy.com MRS SARA JANE JONES
NMH1%SsvAsv%SjrF...@bangate.pge.com
npa...@unixg.ubc.ca Neil Parker
NPC...@prodigy.com MRS BARBARA J BEVEN
Nuop...@aol.com
ohk...@anat.sapmed.ac.jp Youhei Ohkawa
pau...@crash.cts.com Pauline Cernius
pnwi...@cap.gwu.edu Patricia N. Williams
prn...@halcyon.com Al Todak
PRR3%CnoOpt%C...@bangate.pge.com
qu...@phoenix.Princeton.EDU Michael J. Quinn
rbob...@wilkins.iaims.bcm.tmc.edu Risa B. Bobroff
rcs...@u.washington.edu Roy D Clark Jr MD
rich...@netcom.com Tom Richards
992 rick_h...@csufresno.edu Rick Horowitz
rp...@csuchico.edu Ron Pike
rr...@btr.com Robin Reed
RSV2%ENV%S...@bangate.pge.com
ruf...@cae.wisc.edu
sho...@topcat.bsc.mass.edu Dr. Susan A Holton, Bridgewater State
College
sia...@kaiwan.com Siamak Ansari
sm...@netcom.com Kevin Small
sp...@plato.jsc.nasa.gov Sandra J. Prow
stin...@backdoor.com
STW1%AsiCes%C...@bangate.pge.com
SUM...@prodigy.com MS PAT E STIEBER
SWV...@prodigy.com MS PAT KUTHE
tit...@backdoor.com
t...@snoval.fidonet.org Karin Coppernoll
t...@math.ufl.edu Thomas J Gillen
u...@specs.de Ulrich R. Herken
wan...@backdoor.com
yada...@GALlif.ERsys.EDmonTON.Ab.cA Dave Shariff Yadallee
YU...@zodiac.rutgers.edu
Zephy...@aol.com

Voted No
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ante...@informatik.tu-muenchen.de Stefan Antersberger
cjac...@csugrad.cs.vt.edu Chris 'Action' Jackson
crou...@flidh102.delcoelect.com cw...@Think.COM Christopher Ward
e...@sacco.cs.nyu.edu Emery Lapinski fs...@camelot.acf-lab.alaska.edu
Sean P. Ryan gro...@alpha.acast.nova.edu John Grohol
harold....@HYDRO.ON.CA Harold Asmis je...@loki.engr.sgi.com Jeff
C. Glover jfo...@dorsai.dorsai.org Joseph_Fortt j...@globalvillag.com
John R. MacWilliamson mwo...@mathcs.emory.edu Meg Worley
ri...@bcm.tmc.edu Richard H. Miller sma...@turing.toronto.edu
Smarasderagd stai...@bga.com Dwight Brown WA...@ernie.van.forintek.ca
Ward F. Bush will....@ftl.mese.com Abstained
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
car...@cap.gwu.edu Eric C. Carlson m...@RedBrick.COM Maxime Taksar
KC6ZPS

To return to the newsgroup sci.med.transcription, click here
(news:sci.med.transcription). Please stay tuned for the latest
information!

~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~*****

If you're going to get crap, it might as well be cheap crap.

Read my blog at www.mtexchange.com
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