Students are always asking us about particular products. Everything mentioned below are products that we've tried and used ourselves and can recommend to you.

STEDMAN'S SPELLCHECKER AND QUICK LOOK DRUG BOOK:

There are just some references that you cannot do without. Stedman's has the Very best quality references for medical transcriptionists. As an instructor for Meditec.com, I personally use Stedman's Medical Spellchecker and their Quick Look Drug Book. Both products are by far the best on the market for MTs. I also love their Medical Terms and Phrases book. Stedman's products come highly recommended for both quality and ease of use.

Through Meditec's Stedman's store, you can purchase these products with a significant discount using this link: http://www.lww.com/meditec/

Personally, I wouldn't type a report w/o Stedman's Medical Spellchecker.

WORD EXPANDER SOFTWARE:

There are many word expanders out there to choose from. There are three word expander programs that I've found that I recommend. They are as follows:

Shorthand- Shorthand is mid-range priced expander program. It does have many built in features. You can create many different glossaries, purchase third-party word lists, and link all the glossaries together. It retails for $99 for an ongoing license. However, the company has agreed to give Meditec students a discount!! Use this link and you can buy a 1 year license of Shorthand for just $19.95 (usually $29.95) http://pcshorthand.com/Meditec . The program is relatively easy to understand if you read the help manual. Jon Knowles of ABCZ has created word lists that can be imported automatically into Shorthand. The ABCZ method of creating abbrevaitions is one of the best systems available. You can see Jon's lists and learn how to use the ABCZ method of creating abbrevations at: http://home.earthlink.net/~agjon/


Swift Text from http://www.bytescribe.com- A nice little inexpensive expander for about $50. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Shorthand. It is a simple expander program that is very affordably priced. One draw back I found about Swift Text is that if you input "TP" for "the patient" it will ALWAYS expand as "the patient" even if you type a capital "T" and want it capitalized. Other than that, I love it. This issue could be bypassed by creating an abbreviation for the capitalized form and lower case such as: TP for "the patient" and TPC for "The patient." There is no learning curve with Swift Text. Bytescribe has always had great products and excellent customer support. Their WAV pedal and software is second to none.

Abbreviate! from http://www.words-plus.com/website/products/comsoft.htm -Abbreviate! is also a good little expander. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Shorthand. There is no learning curve with it. You can creat multiple glossaries with Abbreviate! You cannot import shortcuts from a bunch of other programs w/ Abbreviate! so keep that in mind when starting out with it.

Instant Text- Instant Text is a program that costs $189 but it has many bells and whistles. Also, as a Meditec student, you can get IT Pro V for just $140, but using this link and typing in your student ID#: https://textware.securesites.net/order/it-order.htm .It is probably the most feature rich word expander available. IT can can scan previously typed medical reports and automatically add frequently typed words and phrases to your glossaries. Jon Knowles also has created an exceptional importable ABCZ file that works great w/ IT. There is a learning curve to using IT although one doesn't have to use all the features in the beginning.

FLASH CARD PROGRAM:

Memorize It!- Whereas you do not need a flash card program for any of the Meditec courses, some people do like to study using the "flash card" method. I found a very well priced little program that is very cool. You can find it here: http://www.memorize-it.com . This program is only $25 and you can add pictures and sound to your flash cards. I thought it was very cool as I'm the type of person who studies using flash cards.

KEYBOARDS

I have recently had the joy to demo and experience the Kinesis Advantage Contour Keyboard. They are available at: http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/contoured.htm .

The keyboard feels extremely sturdy and would definitely stand up to the demands of a production typist. The board is extremely well made. MTs and other production typists tend to go through keyboards very quickly and the cost can add up over time. The Kinesis Contour Advantage is not an inexpensive keyboard. However, I feel it's worth the price because I have MT friends who've had theirs for many many years w/o any problem. In fact, you'll wear the letters on the keys off the board (which are replaceable) before you will blow out this board w/ the demands of production typing.

Features I love about the board- The feel or feeback w/ the keys is very good... very smooth.......you know you are typing on the Cadillac of keyboards when using the Kinesis Contour Advantage. The keys are inline not staggered and your hands sit further apart than w/ regular keyboards. This felt comfortalbe and natural to me. With this board, you are typing in a "well" which I thought would be awkard but it's not. It feels incredibly natural.

I am left-handed, so the placement of the space bar key on the right hand side is new to me and will take time to get used to. Also, whereas I'm going from using an "inline" keyboard, I did have trouble finding the keys quickly. However, this is to be expected whenever changing to a new board. If I went back to using a staggard board, I'd have the same problem. I am going to buy a typing tutorial and play w/ it daily for 20 minutes until I'm comfortable and fast w/ the Kinesis Contour Advantage, then I'm staying w/ this board forever. I like that I'll probably never have to buy another one. The "components" are replaceable and you can even send it in periodically for a cleaning.

The customer service at Kinesis is exceptional as well. The reason I was looking for another keyboard is because the current one I use, which is ergonomic w/ inline keys, and mid-range priced, is never ever in stock. I've tried for over a year now to buy another one. The company seems to have some problems and it's difficult to stay in the board. Plus, it wasn't designed for production typists and I blow one out every year. I need a board that won't die on me, is made well, has great customer service, etc. Now, in time, I will probably buy a second one because if I do want to send it in to be serviced, cleaned, etc.. I will need a board in the interim.

Now, I always feel it's right to be completely up front when reviewing products. Therefore, I have to bring up the point that when you move away from a standard keyboard, and get used to any ergonomic keyboard, it is VERY hard to go back to typing on a standard board again. This creates difficulty if you decide to work out of the home or have to take a transcription test on-site. I would literally have to bring my own keyboard : ). On the other hand, the old-fashioned keyboards are not good for production typists. They create wrist strain and pain, and over time this can create RSIs (repetitive stress injuries) and end a good career too soon. I strongly feel that production typists should obtain a good quality erognomic keyboard.

I've tested many boards and the two I recommend are as follows:

-Kinesis Contour Advantage- Yes, it's pricey but it's going to last years and years, so it's worth the investment. It's a quality board worth getting used to and will save your wrists from RSIs.

-Microsoft Natural Elite 4000- This has staggard keys but has some ergonomic features. It's an inexpensive keyboard and many of my MT friends that use it say they go through 1-2 boards per year. One friend, who types very hard, has gone through up to 3 in a year. So, it's not a bad board to start with if you need an ergonomic board and can't afford the Kinesis. However, I highly recommend saving up for a Kinesis Contour Advantage keyboard.

The other ergo boards that I've tried were either too far out to get used to in any reasonable time frame for myself and/or there were issues with customer service and the availability of the boards (one such board I have tried desperately to buy for over a year and it's still unavailable, so it was time to make a change, and the Kinesis Contour Advantage is a welcome change in ergo boards).

P.S Edited to add:

I just realized that the Kinesis Contour Advantage keyboard is so cool and advanced that I am able to remap the spacebar and backspace key. So, this solves my left-handed tendency to hit the space bard w/ my left thumb. I can even change the keycaps around so that they match what I decided to remap. Now, you've got to admit that the developers of this board were REALLY thinking. I'm telling you, typing on the Kinesis Contour Advantage keyboard feels as good as riding in a Cadillac! You just know that you are dealing w/ the very best and extreme quality, and it just feels "right."


Headsets, Headsets, Headsets!

I am frequently asked by students which is the BEST headset to get for medical transcription. This is a tricky question as every MT likes a different type. I like the aluminum Stetho style that fits deep in the ear, but some MTs feel this is very uncomfortable after several hours of transcribing. I like them because they block out all surrounding environmental noise extremely well. Other MTs like the under the chin ear bud type of headset, which sit a little in the ear but not “plugging” the ear like the stethos style does. Some MTs enjoy the type of headset that fits completely over and encasing the ear. There are two types of “plugs” for headsets. The 3.5mm that plugs into your speakers directly (and into some laptop computers), and the USB type. It’s important to know which type will work with your computer. Newer computers can usually support both types. Some will say that the USB headset is the best over the 3.5 mm type. I have used both types and don’t see any difference at all in sound quality. I like the 3.5 mm because it doesn’t take up a USB port (MTs may have a USB pedal, USB keyboard, etc.. and if working on a laptop there may be only 3 USB hubs. However, this problem can be rectified for about $10 by purchasing a USB hub, which can be found at most Walmart stores). Unfortunately, to find the headset you like the best, you may have to buy and try out several. However, most of the MTs I’ve talked with end up settling on the under the chin ear bud type, or the Stetho style. It isn’t a bad idea to buy two headsets in case one breaks right in the middle of work day. In searching for quality headsets here is a link I’ve found valuable where you can see a variety of different types of headsets and the corresponding pricing information: http://www.startstop.com/transcription_accessories.asp