MT Daily Medical Transcriptionist Biographies

ELIZABETH HUG
At age 18, I started transcribing financial reports for Dun & Bradstreet where I remained for almost five years, leaving to start a family. Married to Charlie in June, 1964; three children: Laurie born 4/65, Linda born 7/67, and Kevin born 12/68. I was a stay-at-home mom, typing term papers on a manual typewriter, and then in 1971 started working for SecrePhone in their home office where I learned MT from some very knowledgeable professionals. I remained with SecrePhone, working both in their office and in my home, until going out on my own in 1985. I purchased my first computer in 1985, learning WP with a book on my lap. In 1986 I formed Med-Elite Transcriptions and trained five transcriptionists in MT. In October of 1994 I leased a Phillips Voice System 4000, and immediately my business started to grow. I now have seven transcriptionists assisting in the business, and we now transcribe all the records for three local psychiatric hospitals, in addition to two endocrinologists, one dermatologist, an ophthalmologist, a physical medicine & rehabilitation physician, and a geriatrics evaluation center. In addition I provide backup for a local orthopaedist when they get behind. I truly love all aspects of my business and can't imagine ever doing anything else. Hobbies: Reading, gardening, cooking and travelling. We are now empty-nesters, and loving it!

ALYDIA KARDEL
Alydia has been a medical transcriptionist since 1993 and an independent contractor since June, 1995. Just after completing her self-paced, home study course, she began working with a service in Phoenix, Arizona. Shortly after that, Alydia, her husband Scott, and their daughter, Sara, moved to Wichita, Kansas, where Scott began his new job as Astronomer and Assistant Director of Education for Lake Afton Public Observatory.

A few months after moving to Wichita, Alydia began working evenings part time at the Wichita Clinic, a multi-specialty immediate care facility. She was the only one working the evening shift and managed to train herself with minimal help from the supervisor and other day transcriptionists. Since her goal was to work at home, she began waging her campaign with her supervisor, but nothing worked. However, she was told that if she wanted to quit, the Wichita Clinic would retain her services as an independent contractor. This sounded appealing, but with no guarantee of work she was hesitant. When another offer came in to subcontract, Alydia took the plunge and quit her job and began subcontracting for a transcription service while contracting with the Wichita Clinic and continuing to take overflow work from an ophthalmology clinic. Just recently, she began working with another service transcribing for an emergency room account. Alydia has practical experience in family practice, OB/GYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics and rheumatology. In addition to transcribing, Alydia's other favorite activities include reading, playing computer games, cross stitching and spending time with her family.
Return to top.

ROSE COMBS
In 1975 I had a job with the State of Arizona working with blind adults in rehabilitation program, but due to funding cuts the job was eliminated. At that point I decided to start working in Medical Transcription to put my typing skills to good use with a view to continuing my college education later.

In pursuit of this goal I started in two transcription courses at once, one from a local school where I used tapes and notes from an instructor and one from the Hadley School For The Blind with materials being in braille.

In the summer of 1976 I started my job search. It was certainly not easy due to inexperience in transcription and due to my being blind but eventually I did land a job. I had one interview that was rather horrible and caused some depression, however, I learned to be prepared for the kinds of questions I was asked at that interview.

In August 1976 I started at a local hospital on call for someone having surgery and then in January 1977 I started there in a part-time position. I have worked there since them.

One of the most useful pieces of equipment I had in those early days was an Optacon, a device that converts printed material to a tactile display, it allowed me to be able to read the myriad of printed materials that we all use in transcription. I could also read what I had typed but this process was slow.

In 1994 I finally convinced my employer that I could be much more productive if I used speech synthesis to help me access the computer instead of the Optacon. Two months after the installation of the new computer and speech synthesis my production had almost doubled.

I may never be as fast as many of you, but I can truthfully say I have learned a lot in the past 19 years, and I think I will continue to learn a lot more. Thank goodness for more online web pages and other resources.
Return to top.

SUZANNE MCKEAN
I have had 27 years of MT experience in hospital situations. Twenty-two years were spent in medical records transcribing the basic four. In addition, I transcribed physical therapy, pathology (including autopsies), radiology, EEG, cardiac rehabilitation, emergency room notes, progress notes and minutes of medical staff meetings. Five years were spent in the hospital laboratory doing autopsy and pathology reports besides all clerical work necessary including personal letters.

It was exciting when I started my first job. After I'd been there a year, the laboratory work came into the medical record transcription area; a year later, the radiology transcription came in; and then, slowly but surely, all the rest of the ancillary services became part of MR transcription. That was a long time ago, but it certainly has given me experience in many specialties. We also had maternity and newborns, and transcription for those areas was interesting. The second hospital I worked in had a psychiatric unit, and it was also an acute care facility. Here again I was able to get more medical language speciality, including learning some street lingo. Return to top.

JULIE VERONICK
MT 13 YRS
I have been doing transcription for 12-1/2 years now, although it doesn't seem that long. I started out while a junior in college (studying business administration--I wanted to own my own business someday!). My mother, who had worked in hospitals for 20+ years, could no longer work because of a little light back surgery which left her disabled. So, she thought she would try transcription as she had a knack for the terminology and had "worked in hospitals so long" (as an admitting clerk, a supervisor of admitting, PT receptionist) that she felt qualified to do transcription. Actually, she did have a knack for the words and without her, and my father who bought the desktop transcriber and the Olivetti typewriter, I probably would be just a clerk or receptionist myself somewhere. Although those are noble professions also, I feel I would have missed out on a great deal by not being a transcriptionist.

I worked for 2-1/2 years on my own at home, typing for an ENT group, an orthopedic doctor, an urgicare center, and a preventive medicine doctor who specialized in chelation therapy (interesting to say the least!). During that time, I still worked with my mom out of her home and made deliveries to the doctors' offices and managed to also get married and have a kid. Unfortunately that kid had a slight problem, ganglioneuroblastoma which prevented him from gaining weight (at 6 months of age, when most kids are little monsters, he weighed 10 pounds). To make a long story short, he is 10-1/2 years old today, has had a spinal fusion for scoliosis due to the original surgeries which removed his tumor, and is doing fine. However, this little bundle of joy is what made me decide to go to work for a hospital--I needed the insurance to cover his followup medical care.

This was both a wonderful time of learning and nine years of hell in a sweatshop atmosphere. I learned more at the hospital than I ever thought I knew. I only THOUGHT I was a transcriptionist before! Not until I had to do a neurosurgery note or a few heart procedures did I realize that I had a ways to go. I met many wonderful people/transcriptionists (transcriptionists are people, too!) while working with the hospital, and they make up the bulk of my friendships now. Unfortunately, the bottom line at the hospital was turnaround and productivity. The mantra around there could have been, "Be happy in your work" (from Bridge on the River Kwai for you movie fans out there). Needless to say, I spent a good deal of time looking for other jobs. However, I was now tied into the idea that I could not go elsewhere because it would be a drop in pay, something I could not afford with a sick child. So, I toughed it out for almost nine years.

During that time, I also met my second husband (after disposing of husband #1 of course!), the most wonderful man alive (he cleans, he cooks, he does dishes, he takes care of KIDS!!). Dave was the service technician for the Lanier System IV digital dictation system at the hospital. A shy, quiet, yet intelligent man who, needless to say, stole my heart and my kids' hearts.

Flash forward to the present: I now have been working in an eight-doctor orthopedic office for nine months and am very happy. Things are never dull there; in fact, we just hired a doc who specializes in hand surgery and replants. Boy, has she kept things hopping around there!

My other hobbies and interests include weaving, sewing, knitting, and reading, especially Stephen King. My interest in computers has been helped somewhat by my husband, and we learn from each other. It has been most enjoyable to say the least, and now finding the MTs online and making new friends has opened another whole realm to me. I look forward to the future. Return to top.

ANITA FINN
Anita has been a medical transcriptionist for 11 years, having done per diem medical and legal transcription for many years and then working part- time for a psychotherapist. For the past 10 years, she has been transcribing medical reports for a neurology practice as well as operating a transcription service from home. A consultant to many medical practices, she has also taught word processing in medical practices and to private students. She uses a combination of WordPerfect and PRD+ and finds it efficient and time saving. She uses an arm rest and keyboard that avoid repetitive stress. (See relaxation page) Return to top.
BILL BENTSEN
I began my career life as a funeral director. Since the age of seven years, I'd always known that was what I wanted to do. It was during mortuary school that I actually began preparing for becoming an MT by learning medical terminology. After 12 months of very intensive courses in anatomy, pathology, chemistry, microbiology and public health (taught by professors from Baylor University College of Dentistry across the street from the mortuary school), and after a couple of years of apprenticeship, I became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in my home state of Texas.

While working in a funeral home for room, board and the exceptionally high wage of $65 per week, I finished college and got a B.A. in English. I began teaching high school English. Teaching public school, even in the early years, was more like baby-sitting, something I've never really been drawn to. After a few semesters of teaching, I re-entered the business world with Delta Air Lines.

During a 20-year career with Delta, I was a technical writer, computer-based instruction (CBI) writer and an analyst in the information and computer services area. I took early retirement, and I now live in the middle of the woods in Tennessee.

Since I'd always liked typing (not only typing my own theses and reports, but also typing jillions of master's theses and doctoral dissertations for money while in college) and because of my previous training in medical terminology, I decided that I should become an MT. This was a logical decision based on my previous experience. I have completed two separate courses in transcription plus took the advanced SUM course on pathology.

Since I'd been involved with funeral service for so long, I called the local medical examiner's office and told them I had a business which specialized in forensic transcription, and I asked if they need any help. Well, they did! And I became an expert in autopsy transcription after transcribing about 400 of their reports. I've expanded, and I handle several other medical examiner's offices, providing transcription, editing and proofreading services to this often-overlooked segment of the medical community.

Autopsy transcription is frequently engrossing and occasionally sad. However, it is always fascinating and riveting, and it is something I thoroughly enjoy doing. It's a compendium of all I've been trained for and everything I love, all congealed into my "retirement career." What a fortunate person I am! Return to top.

Directory of Resource MTs.