M-TEC Message Forum / Online Class Schedule / M-TEC Student Forums

Monday, January 5, 2009: It's a Matter of Style

Sue Dickinson CMT — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:31:14 GMT

Tonight, we will be discussing the often confusing subject of style rules versus preferences with a focus on inconsistencies found in our "reliable" references.

Hope to see you in class tonight and wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sue Dickinson, CMT, AHDI-F

Instructor, M-TEC, Inc.

Monday, December 22, Listening and Interpretation Skills: Dermatology

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:23:15 GMT

On Monday, December 22nd, we will be doing another Listening and Interpretation Skills class, this time focusing on the medical specialty of dermatology. Mike has already posted the handouts for us on the SLC (go to Vital Information, then Chat, then Monday Night Class Schedule). Click the link for that class to download the handouts. If you can find the time to complete the pre-class assignment before we meet on Monday, you'll get a great deal more out of our time together.

If you have any questions about the handouts or the assignment, please write to me at ggreen@mtecinc.com

See you soon!

Tech Class - 12/18/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:31:10 GMT

This Thursday's day time tech class will be on Beginning Macros.

Before class you'll want to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of recording and editing Word macros. There's a tutorial on this in the Technology for the MT document. It's in section III. B. Creating and saving macros. Please do the steps outlined in the Word Macro tutorial before coming to class.

During class we'll be working with 2 files (log.doc and report.doc). You can download a zip file containing these from the link for this class on the Tech Class Schedule page. Please extract those 2 files to a location that you can get to easily during class (either My Documents or the Desktop will work).

If you have any questions about anything mentioned above please contact me before the class on Thursday.

Monday 12-15-08 Benchmark Knowledge Base by Harriet R. Stewart, CMT, AHDI-F

Harriet R. Stewart, CMT, FAAMT — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:26:53 GMT

Tonight's class will be an exciting look at a new tool for MTs to use--the Benchmark Knowledge Base or Benchmark KB. A description of the many features of this wonderful new tool will be provided along with answers to some of your questions. If you have not had the opportunity to hear about this new AHDI-sponsored product, I am sure you will be enlightened and enthralled! Please come and join us!

Tech Class - 12/10/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:37:49 GMT

Tomorrow's tech class will be about encryption.

In preparation for the class please review the following sections in the Technology for the MT document:
Section II. - Encryption software...
Section III. C. - Disk encryption

Be sure to at least view (or review) the tutorial in the Disk Encryption section.

Monday, December 8, 2008: Listening & Interpretation Skills--Vital Signs

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:57:37 GMT

Mike will post the handouts for this class in the usual place (on the SLC under Vital Information, Chat, and then Class Schedule). Click the link there to download the zipped folder containing the audio files and instructions. Take a look at them as soon as you can.

I'll see you in class Monday night at 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST.

If you want to get started early and the handouts are not yet posted, e-mail me (ggreen@mtecinc.com) and I'll forward them to you individually. I'll check my mail intermittently until 10 p.m. PST.

Addendum to Dec. 1 class on punctuation

Michelle Marino CMT — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:22:11 GMT

Hi everyone,

There was a wonderful turnout for the December 1 class on punctation and grammar. Thanks for all who attended!

The good news about class was that I got through all my notes on grammar. Hooray!

The bad news was that, due to time constraints, I only hit the tip of the iceberg concerning punctuation. FYI: The next class I'm scheduled to moderate is February 16, and I'll be focusing exclusively on punctation for that class. I'll make it a point to get through everything about commas, and if I have time, I'll touch upon other punctuation. (If I run out of time, my class after that will be "punctuation, continued.")

In the meantime, if you're struggling with punctuation, I wanted to let you know that your instructor has a wonderful article called "Comma Trauma" that they can send to you. That document is written in very simple terms and helps demystify when (and when not) to use a comma. If you don't have a copy, email your instructor and she can send it to you. That will be a wonderful resource for you until we have an in-depth class about commas in February.

Cheers!

Tech Class - 12/04/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:17:33 GMT

Thursday's daytime Tech Class will be on Evaluating MT Pay Rates.

You will need to have 10 reports available, preferably reports that you've already typed. You will need to know the minutes and seconds of audio dictation for each of those 10 reports. You will want to have the 10 reports combined into one document.

By the end of class you'll be able to compare job offers from different companies even if they use different methods of paying. You will be able to compare the rates between a company that pays by the minute vs. one that pays by the 65-character line vs. one that pays by the word vs. one that pays by the visual black character, etc.

Monday, December 1 Class Topic

Michelle Marino CMT — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:36:32 GMT

Hello everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed a happy and restful Thanksgiving weekend.

Please join me for class Monday night (December 1) for a topic that I am certain is near and dear to your heart: punctuation and grammar. Hooray! :)

Or maybe not. LOL. If you are like most students, you probably struggle with punctuation. Join me for class as I discuss some punctuation rules, help sort out when and when not to use those pesky commas, and cover some grammar rules as well.

For new students, go the SLC, click on "Virtual Class", and follow the directions on how to access the virtual classroom. You may begin entering the classrom at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and class starts promptly at 8:15 p.m.

I hope to see you all there!

Monday, November 24, 2008: Listening & Interpretation Skills--Lab Tests

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:33:50 GMT

Monday night's class will be the second one in our series on Listening and Interpretation Skills. This one will focus on laboratory tests. There are audio clips and instructions to download. You will find them on the SLC under Vital Information. The link will be on the Online Class Schedule in the Chat section. It will be available sometime this evening or early Monday morning.

I'm looking forward to seeing you in class Monday evening!

Tech Class - 11/20/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:36:45 GMT

Tomorrow's tech class will cover how to set up a small MT service from a technology standpoint.

Last time we talked about digital file transfer methods which covered the MT side of things. You'll need to know about the different file transfer methods before learning about the technology services use and how it all ties together. So if you missed the last daytime tech class (11/06/08) be sure to read those class notes.

As a reminder: The daytime tech class starts at 1 p.m EST (10 a.m. Pacific) every other Thursday.

Monday, November 17, 2008: Anatomy of a Female

Sue Dickinson CMT — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:30:35 GMT

Tonight's class will be about the female reproductive system with a focus on basic anatomy/terminology dictated often in OB/GYN reports.

Hope to see you in class tonight!

Sue Dickinson, CMT, AHDI-F

M-TEC Instructor

Tech Class - 11/12/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:16:12 GMT

Tomorrow night's tech class will be about Firefox and extensions, specifically the NeedleSearch extension.

In preparation for the class tomorrow please install Firefox from [url]http://www.mozilla.com[/url]. If you already have Firefox installed then you don't need to reinstall it, but you may want to upgrade to the latest version.

[b]It's very important that you come to class using Internet Explorer.[/b] We'll be installing a Firefox extension during class, and when the extension needs to restart Firefox (to complete the installation) you'll get dumped out of class and you'll have to log back in.

Monday, November 10, 2008: Listening and Interpretation Skills

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:56:39 GMT

Be sure to visit the SLC to download the materials necessary for this class. They should be posted early on Monday morning.

We will be working with audio clips for this session. You don't want to miss this one!

Tech Class - 11/06/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:36:34 GMT

Tomorrow's daytime tech class will be about different methods of Digital File Transfer that you may encounter and use as an MT working from home.

There is no assignment for this class.

Monday night class - 110308

Jami Fineberg CMT — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:06:22 GMT

Please join the class tonight to discuss the difference between these commonly confused acronyms! Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Jami

Tech Class - 10/29/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:06:47 GMT

Tomorrow's Tech Class will be on Desktop Shortcuts. Please review the information in the Creating a shortcut on the Desktop tutorial in section I. A. of the Technology for the MT page in the SLC.

Monday, October 27, 2008: Critical Thinking in Pharmacology - II

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:23:02 GMT

The only preclass assignment for tonight is to come with your thinking caps on! Together, we will look at how to make studying pharmacology easier and how to apply principles that will help you avoid making critical errors in the workplace.

See you tonight!

Tech Class - 10/23/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:21:34 GMT

Tomorrow's daytime tech class will be about troubleshooting computer problems. This is one area where knowing a few tricks can really save you time as an MT working on production.

Bring some of your problems to class and after the lecture portion we'll try to troubleshoot them, time permitting.

As a reminder, the Thursday class starts at 1 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Pacific). I call Protocol at 15 after.

Hope to see you there! :)

Tech Class - 10/15/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:17:14 GMT

The evening Tech Class for tomorrow is all about using Instant Text (IT). If you aren't in the advanced sessions or if you don't have IT, you can still take part in class to get an idea of what an expander can do and how IT helps increase productivity.

As usual, grads are welcome and encouraged to attend. Different people like to use IT in different ways so other opinions are always appreciated.

There is no assignment for this class, just show up.

Monday, October 13, 2008: Critical Thinking in Human Diseases - II

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:44:56 GMT

There is a handout for this evening's class that should be available a little later this morning (probably by the time you read this). It contains a brief reading assignment and links to material we will cover in class tonight. The handout can be obtained from the Student Learning Center, under Vital Information. Click Chat and then Monday Night Class Schedule.

See you there!

Tech Class - 10/09/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:06:00 GMT

Tomorrow's daytime tech class will cover the topic of computer hardware. Be sure to tune in if you're looking for a new computer or if you just want to know what all the jargon means.

Monday Night Class, October 6, 2008

Angela Kelly CMT FAAMT — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:22:10 GMT

Come join me on Monday night! We will be discussing how you can make the most of pre-employment testing. Looking forward to seeing you all there! Angela :)

Tech Class - 10/01/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:48:37 GMT

Tomorrow's tech class will be on Screenshots. Your assignment for this class is to follow the animated tutorial in the Technology for the MT document and take a screenshot of your Desktop.

Come to class with any questions.

We'll also be discussing some other aspects of screenshots and the new screenshot (Snipping) tool in Windows Vista.

Online Class for 9/29/08

Susan Francis CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:59:00 GMT

I am sorry to report that this evening's class has been canceled. We will offer this same class later on this year, with many more exciting topics to follow. Use this time to study and feel free to send a note out to your instructors if you have any questions.

Enjoy the break! :)

Tech Class - 09/25/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:13:34 GMT

Tomorrow's tech class will be on advanced word search techniques, using tools that help you find the impossible.

For class, be sure that you have Agent Ransack installed. If you don't have Agent Ransack you can still come to class, but you won't be able to follow along as we put the search techniques to work. (There's a tutorial on installing Agent Ransack on the Technology for the MT page in the SLC.)

You'll also need to have a group of previously transcribed Word files (10 or more files, but the more the better) stored in a folder. These are the reports we'll be practicing on. These need to be DOC files, not DOCX files (from Word 2007). Agent Ransack may not be able to search inside of DOCX files.

Monday Night Class, 9/22/2008: Terminology from the Light Side

Sue Dickinson CMT — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:31:30 GMT

Tonight's class will be interactive and hopefully an enjoyable break from studies, work pressures, and devastating hurricanes. New students get your feet wet, basic and advanced students relax a bit, and grads come back "home" for an hour. ;)

My class topic will be "Terminology from the Light Side!"

Homework assignment:

1. Pick a word that you have run across in your studies or dictation on the job that sounded funny (as in hilarious or even strange) when you heard it pronounced. Give the phonetics and the layman's definition. Example: Gomphosis, pronounced gom FOH sis, meaning a synarthrosis or fibrous joint that binds teeth to bony sockets.

2. Find the medical term for a common bodily function word(s) like "eyelid twitch" to share with the class, i.e., myokymia or fasciculation.

Let's bring the language of medicine to life tonight! Hope to see you in class at 8 p.m. EST.

Sue Dickinson, CMT

M-TEC Instructor

Tech Class - 09/17/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:54:51 GMT

We'll be discussing Networking Part 2 tomorrow night in the tech classroom. If you missed Networking Part 1, please review those class notes before the class tomorrow.

This is a lecture class, but be sure to bring your networking questions. :)

Tonight's class on MS Word

Laura Bryan — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:25:35 GMT

Are there any topic requests for tonight's online class on MS Word? If there is a specific topic you would like to cover tonight, post here.

How many of you are using Word 2007? Are there enough to warrant a discussion on 2007?

Thanks!

Laura

Tech Class - 09/11/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:56:45 GMT

Tomorrow's daytime tech class is completely new! We'll be discussing the topic of Virtual Machines and how using them can help you overcome some of the difficulties associated with using one computer. What if you could take your work/study environment with you on your keychain?

That's what we'll be discussing tomorrow. There is no assignment for this class, except to bring your questions. :)

Monday night class handout

JonsGranny — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:04:51 GMT

has anyone had trouble printing out the handout for tonight's class? It opens fine for me, but when I click on print, it says Microsoft Word has encountered a problem and must close. I've restarted my computer 4 times and it still does it. Arrrrggggghhhhhhh I know I can sit and read it right here, but I would rather not.

Monday, September 8, 2008: Ear TrainingBuilding Auditory Discrimination Skills

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:27:53 GMT

If you've been enrolled for any length of time, you already know that there is a difference between what you hear and what was actually said. How you discern that difference is dependent upon a combination of auditory discrimination skills and critical thinking ability. We can't rely fully on one without the other. Tonight we will talk about building auditory discrimination skills while applying what we know about thinking critically.

There is a handout in association with this class. It will be posted as a link on the class topic list under Vital Information on the SLC. Be sure to download it and review it before class.

See you tonight!

Tech Class - 09/03/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:16:20 GMT

The tech class for tomorrow evening will be Networking Part 1.

This is a lecture class. There is no assignment. :)

NO CLASS MONDAY

Susan Francis CMT AHDI-F — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:22:28 GMT

The M-TEC office will be closed on Monday to allow everyone to celebrate the Labor Day weekend with family and friends. We hope you will take some time to relax and enjoy the break. You are free to continue studying during this time and submitting assignments/tests or questions to your instructor.

The online classes will resume next week. Stay tuned! :)

Tech Class - 08/28/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:33:06 GMT

Tomorrow's daytime Tech Class will be Linux vs. Windows and the future of MT

Home users in the US are almost all working in Windows. As a result we're all aware of Window's problems. But many people aren't aware of the alternatives. We'll be discussing Linux, one alternative, in class tomorrow.

Linux is starting to catch on in the business arena. Major computer makers like Dell and HP have taken notice of Linux. (Dell has been selling Linux pre-installed on a range of desktops and laptops for over a year. Dell has subsequently announced that they're pleased with the results and have been expanding their lineup and support options.) That means when an MT company sends you a computer in the future, it may have Linux on it instead of Windows.

This will be a lecture class, so there won't be any tutorials.

Here is an online video presentation that serves as a good introduction to Linux:
[url]http://mirror.lzu.edu.cn/doc/tomlinux.ca/video_demo/introduction_to_linux.html[/url]

The video above is organized into various sections. Each section is a few minutes long. Don't feel like you have to watch all the sections, but do watch the first 3.

Additionally, here is an article to read in preparation for the class for those who want more info about Linux: [url=http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT9727687530.html]Vista vs. Linux[/url] (This one gets a little technical. He's doing a comparison of what happened when he installed both Linux and Vista to a new computer.)

Monday, August 25, 2008: Critical Thinking in Laboratory Medicine - II

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:51:23 GMT

Meet me in class tonight at 5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m. EST, for an in-depth discussion of transcribing laboratory data. We will take a forensic investigations approach and let our friends on the CSI programs lead us through the critical thinking process! If you did not attend the previous class on this topic, your pre-class assignment is to review the notes from that earlier class.

Tech Class - 08/20/08

Mike DeTuri — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:57:45 GMT

Tomorrow's tech class will be on Advanced Macros. We'll be programming a Word macro from scratch, line by line.

In preparation for this class, please review the class notes from the Beginning Macros class and the Macro Questions class.

Word 2007 users will need to use these directions to enable the Developer tab and get into the Visual Basic Editor.

Here are directions on how to do that along with many other good tips for using macros in Word 2007:
[url]http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100997691033.aspx[/url]

Monday, August 18, 2008 Becoming an Engaded AHDI Member by Harriet R. Stewart, CMT, AHDI-F

Harriet R. Stewart, CMT, FAAMT — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:18:25 GMT

You may have heard of the term "engaged member" but what does that mean? We will explore the various ways in which you can become an active AHDI member. I will also answer any questions you have about other topics such as career goals, questions about resume content, etc. Hope you can join us!

Tech Class - 08/14/08

Mike DeTuri — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:22:12 GMT

The daytime tech class for tomorrow is going to be about how to automate common computing tasks using batch files.

This is a complex subject so there are some prerequisites:

1. You must go through the Agent Ransack tutorial in the SLC found in the Technology for the MT document. By "go through" I don't mean just view. You'll have to [b]do[/b] the tutorial. It shouldn't take more than 30-45 minutes.
2. Doing the tutorial means that you'll have created your notes.txt file and your Word Backup folder. We'll be using these items in class to demonstrate how batch files work.

Additionally, you'll have to set your computer to show hidden files and folders and to show extensions for known file types. To do this do the following:

1. Open My Computer, then Tools, then Folder Options...
1a. Vista users: Open Computer, then Organize, then Folder and Search Options.
2. Go to the View tab.
3. Put a dot in Show hidden files and folders.
4. Remove the check from Hide extensions for known file types.
5. OK out of the screen and close My Computer.

Thanks everyone! See you tomorrow.

Monday, August 11, 2008: Critical Thinking in Medical Science - II

Georgia Green CMT AHDI-F — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:45:43 GMT

I apologize for the late post. I returned from the AHDI meeting in the wee hours this morning, so I'm a little delayed getting a post up. We are definitely having class and I'm already over there waiting for you!