A 101 minute file that is actual audio and not just a recorder being left on. My supervisor actually warned me of the upcoming nightmare and covered my work for today and yesterday for this file. This was 1 file full of 26 patients (3 days of appointments). Why? Well, sometimes the doctors' lives get too busy and they can't sit and dictate throughout the day so they will do it all on one day or over the weekend. I understand their need for this, I totally do. It is just so frustrating because this is 1 hour and 41 minutes of listening to ONE doctor. When it is one file like this they cannot distribute it to various MTs, one MT has to do the full file, and this is one of my main accounts so I got it! I was honestly having to get up and walk around every 2 patients because I was nodding off at the computer! It took me half the day yesterday and all day today to do this file because of my breaks! Normally, this would have taken 6 hours at the most to type. How do I know that? I type at a 3:1 ratio. This means that in the good circumstances I am able to type a minute of dictation, including proofreading, in 3 minutes. So every hour takes me 3 hours.
Files like these, the super long ones, (which are rare) take longer because you have to take more breaks. It really is tiring and very monotonous listening to the same voice for so long. It doesn't help that this is the doctor I call "Dr. Run-on-SubjectJumper. He will be talking about the history of present illness and then go into some random fact about the patient or their family. He also speaks in 80% or so run-ons and fragments! So, he is quite a challenge. Luckily all my doctors are English-speaking and are easy to understand. They have their own little challenges though. This job is never easy. There are just different kinds of challenges, be it accents or bad grammar or long files, everyone is challenged in this job.
Tonight, my head hurts. I never realized your brain could actually hurt until I started training to be an MT. It honestly can! This job is so worth it though. As soon as I have the time, and patience, I will write a blog that will concentrate on the GOOD things about MT :) I promise, it is not all as bad as I made it sound in the last blog!
I am finally feeling myself winding down. I have some Reba playing (her newest album, All the Women I Am) and I am typing away. You would think I was tired of typing right?
We watched the Grinch who Stole Christmas tonight and had lasagna (Thanks Rob ♥). This is the first year in a while that I actually feel really excited about Christmas! I am not sure why, maybe it has to do with the fact that 100% of my shopping so far has been done online so I haven't had to deal with the crowded malls and grouchy people who are missing the spirit of the season.
For me, Christmas is a time for happiness. A time to laugh when you want to cry and a time for all adults to be children for a day. Some people concentrate too much on the cost of each present or making sure they outdo everyone else in their decorations. To me, this spoils the season. It is not about any of this, it is simply about happiness and making others happy.
OK, I am out of here tonight.... Thanks for reading more of my mindless chatter. This is more therapeutic than I ever imagined!
Oh, one more thing. My graceful, 9-year-old cheerleading daughter was talking on the phone tonight, was getting all into her conversation, turned around and proceeded to run head-first into a door facing, almost busting her head open....She is totally fine....but a door facing??? I mean c'mon...at least trip over the carpet or something ;) haha. I have to tease her! I totally wouldn't if she was hurt bad though.
When you are out and about tomorrow give a random person a compliment, whether it is their looks or that they have nice hair or a great shirt, just compliment them, watch the person's face light up :) It will make you smile too.
Be happy and remember if you are having a bad day, at least it is another day that you are alive. Be thankful for your life!!
Sharon ♥
The true spirit of Christmas shines through you! Sorry your daughter had a case of the clumsies. Glad she wasn't hurt though. My kids and pets regularly show their more graceful selves. Great job getting through that mondo file!
ReplyDeleteHow about that sense of accomplishment when you hit Send on that final file? I loathe those loooong multifiles.
ReplyDeleteIf you went to medical school and can perform complex surgery, you'd think the concept of hitting the Next button when you start the next letter wouldn't be too much of a stretch, wouldn't you?!? Oh, who am I kidding? Half of my doctors can't form a coherent sentence more than a couple of times a day.
Thanks for this blog - I found it from your posts on the CS forum. I've had a couple of questions from people I "know" on various forums about being an MT and now I can refer them here for the "warts and all" story.
Oh yes Anne! The excitement, relief, joy, etc. that I felt when I turned in that file was worth it all. I always feel like I accomplished something when I do those longer files. They are so challenging!
ReplyDeleteRenae, normally it is the 13-year-old who is clumsy. I guess puberty starting is the culprit but the 9-year-old has been hurting herself more and more. We all had a good laugh about it once we saw that she was fine. Laughter is the best medicine :D
101 minutes on one patient would be a welcome reality (for me anyway), but when it's a bunch of patients in one file it gets old quick! :)
ReplyDeleteThis file was a total of 26 patients with a STAT hidden in there that I had to find first! It was crazy!!
ReplyDeleteI ran in the door just like your daughter did this year and went to the hospital for a concussion. I hope she is okay.
ReplyDeleteShe is fine now. Mostly just some light headaches. She actually hit hard enough to make a small scab! She has been fine though :)
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