I just did the coding exam for Complications of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium. It is my first coding exam I have done poorly on, and I am discouraged. Part of the issue was that my thinking was off at times as to when to use the 5th digit 0 and when to use the 5th digit 3. Then I made 2 very careless transposition errors when I transferred my answers from my notebook to the computer screen. I was trying to hurry and did not check my answers before hitting the send key. So mad at myself. I need to rethink how I am doing things, as I have been taking my tests at night after I have worked all day and my brain is tired. Just venting. Thank you for listening. :(
I think we can all relate. We've all taken tests at some time when we we were not at our best but had to get it done. Life happens. We sometimes get in too much of a hurry and suffer the consequences. I sure have my share of those, 'wish I could go back and do that one again' moments. That accounts for the 'careless' transposition errors, of course, but if you still have questions, send off an e-mail to your instructor for help.
Regarding that particular section, I find 'Complications of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium' to be very difficult.
Don't beat yourself up.
Ask questions when needed.
STOP! ---and do something fun occasionally. Then you'll come back to your work a new person, seeing it with fresh new eyes. It works. Try it.
Thank you for the encouraging words, Linda. They helped.
I usually do really well on the open-book tests; it is the transcription assessments that I have difficulty with.
Hi Jenn - I'm not in the transcription course at Andrews. I'm in my last module of the coding course, but I can tell you that a part of transcription training your ears to listen. Not the way we listen nowadays where usually we are thinking about what we are going to say before someone else says it or what ware doing to do at such and such a time, etc. You really have to tune in to each dictator's speech patterns, the way they pronounce certain words, etc. It is a learned process and it takes time, so be patient. One thing that helps is if you listen once and then walk away and do something else and come back and listen again. Even after years of transcription, since 2001, I still run across a dictator or two where I'm shocked that what he said is not what I heard AT all. So don't beat yourself up over it. There will be days when you understand every single word they're saying, you'll know exactly what they're gonna say before they say it, and then BAM--you'll have a day where everything is garbled mumbo jumbo and you're rewinding a zillion times, etc. Also, just as a tip, if you don't understand something being dictated, listen to the entire report first. A lot of times, the phrase, drug, or whatever missing word is will be repeated. Good luck to you!
Carmen
Great advice, Carmen!