Autopsy: Homicide Case

“The body is presented in a black body bag. At the time of examination, the body is clothed in a long-sleeved red cotton thermal shirt, khaki twill cargo pants, and one black shoe.

The body is that of a normally developed, well nourished Caucasian female measuring 63 inches in length, weighing 114 pounds, and appearing generally consistent with the stated age of thirty-five years. The body is cold and unembalmed with declining rigor. Pronounced unblanching lividity is present on the posterior of the body in the regions of the feet; the upper thighs, particularly on the right side; the lower back, particularly on the right side; the right arm; and the neck.

An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present. It is usually performed by a specialized doctor called pathologist. If you are an avid fan of CSI Las Vegas, you would have seen footages of an ongoing autopsy or watched a scene where an agent talks to the coroner regarding the cause of death of the victim.

In making the report for autopsy, the pathologist records the findings through a digital recorder and then passes this recording on to a medical transcriptionist. The work of a transcriptionist now forms part to a legal medical document.

You might be one of those wanting to take up transcription course especially in the field of medical transcription. As such, you will find yourself transcribing many types of medical reports such as Autopsy, Emergency Room Reports or Cardiovascular or Pulmonary Reports.

As a medical transcriptionist who is transcribing an autopsy report at night, you may get that eerie feeling that the victim might be standing next to you. You start to remember all that creepy, scary and ghoulish movies you’ve watched in the past. Scary as it may seem, transcribing an autopsy report gives you an opportunity to gain some knowledge in forensic medicine.

But if think you are not cut out for this challenge, do consider other forms of transcriptions such as general, business, entertainment or legal transcriptions. With many business processes being outsourced to the Philippines, much opportunity await those possessing the relevant skills required by outsourcing providers.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS SEEN FOR LEGAL TRANSCRIPTION

Several transcription companies in Davao have started to offer services transcribing legal dictations or records in the form of oral arguments and trial cases primarily for US clients. With the economic downturn in the US, there is increased interest to outsource work to destinations that can offer lower cost while providing quality work such as the Philippines.

Legal transcription has come into the public view recently being recognized for its efficient and professional influence on legal records and is steadily becoming a popular trend in the legal field.

Almost everything that takes place in the civil and criminal court systems requires hard copy documentation. The information is either dictated or recorded in the courtroom or at deposition hearings, as well as in law offices. The dictations often take the form of testimonies, pleadings, interrogatories (questions and answers), reviews of administrative hearings and the like. The process used for operations is the same as that in the medical transcription industry.

The main users of these services are attorneys and law firms, courts, public defenders' and prosecutors' offices, public utility companies, publicly funded legal service projects and community legal service programs. The other users would be corporate legal departments, insurance companies, financial institutions, real estate and title agencies, state and federal government agencies.

Legal transcriptionists may become so proficient that they can actually undertake paralegal duties working directly for lawyers, court reporters, law offices, transcribing service companies and other transcription service contractors/providers.

Those looking to develop their career in legal transcription should have a solid understanding of legal terminology. They should have impeccable grammar and a good command of the English language. A competency for medical transcription helps those who desire to switch to legal transcription because of their familiarity with the transcription technology.

Visually Impaired Finds Hope in Outsourcing Career

Losing one’s sight causes people to despair and lose hope for a bright future. When it happens slowly as in the case of those afflicted with a genetic eye disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa, the situations becomes terrible as most people fear the loss of independence that results from losing one’s vision.

Such is the case of Ramon (name withheld for privacy) who had been suffering progressively from a condition called tunnel vision. While others go completely blind, in some cases as early as childhood, for others, the eventual loss of sight happens much later.Ramon was diagnosed with this eye disorder while attending his 4^th year of college education in a local university. Fresh out of college and determined to arm himself with a skill that will enable him to be a productive individual despite his impairment, Ramon decided to enter a medical transcription program upon the recommendation of the Resources for the Blind Inc. (RBI). RBI in cooperation with MTC Academy has a special program that teaches the visually impaired to acquire the competencies of medical or business transcription through a technology called JAWS (Job Access with Speech).

Never wavering in his belief that he can be somebody, Ramon persevered in his transcription education and finally graduated last September 2008.Barely 3 weeks from graduation, he landed a job with a Davao-based transcription company. Ramon at 23 years old is a shining example of how to win despite the odds.

With the ever increasing demand for outsourcing services such as transcription, hope springs for the visually impaired. Davao’s ICT champions continue to advocate training for business process outsourcing skills and equal employment opportunities for the disabled.

Davao: The "Next Big One"

This is the best news so far. And to quote, "Outside of Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, Davao will become "the biggest location for BPOs," says David Leechiu.

Click here for David Leechiu profile.

Click here for the whole BPAP Breakthrough Newsletter.

BPO industry needs more ICT graduates

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - With the Philippine Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry growing by 30 to 35 percent annually and a projection of 1 million jobs generated by 2010, key players in the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and academe are pushing for a comprehensive and sustainable training program that will develop Mindanao's human resources on information, communication technology (ICT.

"We need to let the public know the positive economic impact the BPO sector has already gained, and the untapped opportunities that the ICT industry has to offer particularly in creating more jobs and ICT-related businesses," said Wit Holganza, president of the ICT Davao, Inc. during the first ever BPO Human Resource and Recruitment Forum held last September 29.

She said the forum, which gathered BPO experts and HR practitioners from local schools and training institutions, is a good start to prepare the human resource pool to acquire skills that will serve the requirements of the BPO industry players.

The supply of qualified ICT-skilled workers is an increasing concern, as the industry needs more ICT graduates with the ICT industry poised for upbeat growth in the next years.

Ditas Formoso, head of the Technical Committee on Government Academe Industry Linkage (TC-Gail) said that the talent pool is growing at a rate of only 10 percent while the industry grows 30-35 percent annually.

In her presentation, she explained that faculty development, industry immersion for students, appropriate school infrastructure and industry-based curricula are factors that make up a talent pool required by the industry.

The TC-Gail will embark on advocacy and awareness programs to gain industry, academe and local
government support for the faculty immersion programs they will be pilot testing.

She also encouraged academic institutions to participate, as this will benefit both graduates and faculty.

Jamea Garcia, Talent Development Director of the Business Processing Association of the
Philippines (BPAP) said in her presentation that the supply of talent would determine the level of growth the industry will experience.

She said that a comprehensive assessment and training program must be developed to help improve suitability of talent for the industry.

In a recent article, she said investing in training of human resources is a challenge for stakeholders "in order to supply the quality of talent which will also propel improvements in the industry."

She said aside from generating 1 million jobs by 2010, it is also projected to generate 1.2 to 1.3 million indirect jobs.

The forum was organized by the ICT Davao, an umbrella organization of different ICT industry associations. The group is planning to develop a databank, which will determine Davao's human resources pool and its capacity to respond to the needs of prospective locators.

The three-day forum also matched teachers and guidance counselors of schools with HR and recruitment staff of BPO companies on a two-day job fair to allow schools firsthand experience in human resource and recruitment processes which can become a benchmark for schools in improving their curriculum particularly in English proficiency and other ICT-related skills.

A career employment track was organized to focus on career opportunities in the different BPO fields, which include the contact center, medical transcription, and graphics and animation.

On the other hand, the technopreneurship track oriented the participants of opportunities in engaging in ICT start-up businesses.

The Davao Business Plan Competition was also launched during the forum to encourage young ICT entrepreneurs to submit business start-up proposals. - Sun Star

Cross the River and Learn How to Swim

As the famous song from the known band AMERICA says "Don't cross the river if you can't swim the tide". I am to believe that this notion is always the best thing to do in every situation where you are stuck to the point of having hesitations in doing something because you don't know how to get around it.

When I started working in MTC Academy Davao, I had this feeling of anxiety since I know I will be asked to do things which I was not exposed to in the past. Considering that my experiences in the past are mostly in the hardware implementations and setups, still I pursued and faced it. I only had little idea on how to setup a medical transcription training center, most especially a medical transcription production facility.

When I did the network hardware setup of the school, I did not have that much difficulty in doing it since most of the implementations on the hardware area I am quite familiar and also I was provided with training from the central office. The only thing that is challenging is the implementation of the student's learning systems which require tremendous configurations. It took me more than a month to familiarize myself to that system and make it run stable. I just kept on experimenting, testing, researching and asking other IT people from other branches. Unlike in the setup of the production facility which is more challenging to do and must be in compliance to a law, had completely I am way far from the beginning of it. The most gruesome thing is I had to do it alone.

The setup of the production facility took me sometime to finish and make it running since it's a very complicated thing to setup for me because I did not have prior idea on how to do it. One important thing that drives me in order to successfully complete the setup of the facility is my instinct. What I did was I just kept on reading related articles, researching on the internet, ITs asking other IT experts opinions, and kept on testing by trial and error. Finally I was able to make it run in a standardized way that is compliant to the binding law. The internet is a vast collection of knowledge where you can gain ideas in making things done. One important thing that drives me in order to successfully complete the setup of the facility is my instinct.

Jonathan O. Lobo

IT Assistant

What You Need to Know About Medical Transcription

About Transcription

Transcription is the conversion of a recorded voice source into a typewritten document such as the proceedings of a court hearing, corporate meeting, teleseminars, webinars, subtitling, data entry, and medical consultation. A transcriptionist is a person who performs such jobs.

About Medical Transcription

Confidential patient information is converted to a text document by a medical transcriptionist with the use of a computer. This text may be printed and hand placed in the patients’ record, archived, and/or retained only as an electronic medical record. Medical transcription can be performed in a hospital, via remote transmission to the hospital, or directly to the actual providers in off-site locations.

The report is used as the document which results from the medical transcription process, normally in reference to the healthcare professionals’ specific encounter with a patient on a specific date of service. This report is referred to by many as a "medical report". Each specific transcribed report, with its own specific date of service, is then merged and becomes part of the larger patient record commonly known as the patient's medical history.

A medical transcriptionist (MT) performs document typing and formatting functions according to an established criteria or format, transcribing the spoken word of the patient's care information into a typewritten, easily readable form. An MT is required to have knowledge of the spelling of all terms and words to be able to correct medical terminology or dictation errors. MTs also edit the transcribed documents, and return the completed documents in a timely fashion. All transcription reports must comply with medico-legal concerns, policies and procedures, and laws under patient confidentiality.

About the Medical Transcription Profession

An individual who performs medical transcription is known as a medical transcriptionist or an MT, or a medical transcriber. A medical transcriptionist is the person responsible for converting the patient's medical records into typewritten format rather than handwritten, the latter more prone to misinterpretation by other healthcare providers. In the late 1990s, medical transcriptionists were also given the title of Medical Language Specialists or Health Information Management (HIM) paraprofessionals.

Working in medical transcription leads to a mastery in medical terminology and editing, the ability to listen and type simultaneously, the utilization of playback controls on a foot pedal and the use of Expresscribe to play and adjust dictations while maintaining a steady rhythm of execution.

There is a great degree of internal debate about which training program best prepares an MT for industry work. It is always advised by different medical transcription company owners or employers that a knowledgeable MT is highly valued. Always look for a training institution that gives the best value for your money. MTs who can consistently and accurately transcribe multiple document work-types such as General Transcriptions, Legal Transcriptions and Medical Transcriptions, and return reports within a reasonable turnaround-time (TAT) are sought the most. TATs (turnaround time) set by the service provider or agreed to by the transcriptionist should be reasonable but consistent with the need to return the document to the patient's record in a timely manner.

About the Medical Transcription Process

When a patient visits a doctor, the doctor spends time with the patient discussing his medical problems, including past history and/or problems. The doctor performs a physical examination and may request various laboratory or diagnostic studies, will make a diagnosis, and then decides on a plan of treatment for the patient, which is discussed and explained to the patient, with instructions provided. After the patient leaves the office, the doctor uses a voice-recording device to record the information about the patient encounter. This information may be recorded into a hand-held digital recorder or a phone voice recorder, into a central server located in the hospital or transcription service office, and then the gatekeeper will distribute recorded files for the transcriptionist. This report, received as a voice file, is then accessed by a medical transcriptionist who then listens to the dictation and transcribes it into the required format for the medical record, and of which this medical record is considered a legal document. The transcribed files will now go into quality assurance by MT Editors and MT Proofreaders. The next time the patient visits the doctor, the doctor will call for the medical record or the patient's entire chart, which will contain all reports from previous encounters.

It is very important to have a properly formatted, edited, and reviewed medical transcription document. If a medical transcriptionist accidentally typed a wrong medication or a wrong diagnosis, the patient could be at risk if the doctor (or his designee) did not review the document for accuracy. Both the doctor and the medical transcriptionist play an important role to make sure the transcribed dictation is correct and accurate. The doctor should speak slowly and concisely, especially when dictating medications or details of diseases and conditions, and the medical transcriptionist must possess hearing acuity, medical knowledge, and good reading comprehension in addition to checking references when in doubt.

Transcriptions - What's in it for you?

What do you get with all the hard work once you've completed transcription training?

I got my first job as an Admin Assistant for a medical transcription school. At first, I didn't understand what someone would get from transcription training. But as days went on, and our of curiosity, I browsed the Internet and read some articles about it.

Although I have not yet finished my training in medical transcription (MT), I was able to get a part-time and home based job as a business transcriptionist. You might as me how I got a client. I was able to get the part-time job because if the people I knew. You might also ask me why I took MT Course and not Business Transcription Course (BT). The reason for that is because the medical transcription course has a higher competency. And the higher the competency, the greater the chance to land a job. And besides, the longer the training, the better for I would be able to familiarize the work in transcriptions and to familiarize the computer as well. And another thing is that, the more transcription practices with different slang and accents, the better.

My point here is that, during these times when there are too many graduates and few hiring positions available, the newly graduates are forced to leave another year unproductive because they can't seem to find a job.

The best assets that every aspiring transcriptionist should acquire are: 1) good English skills, 2) 50-60 words per minute speed in typing, 3) ability to listen very well with different slang and accents, 4) editing and proofreading skills, and 5) computer and Internet savvy.

I am not saying that everyone who has the skills is ready to become a transcriptionist. At first, I thought transcription jobs are easy to do. That was a wrong perception. Transcription is about learning the job and loving the job that you do. You can earn from doing transcription and you can also learn from the transcripts that you are doing. It only requires dedication, patience, and not more than a year and a half to study.

Virtues of an MT

To study medical transcription is to study a new language. That is why it is said that medical transcriptionists are also known as medical linguists. Yet learning the language of medicine is not what makes a full-pledged MT. So what makes an MT? For me, it is the core values which embodies each and every medical transcriptionists and these are:

Patience. There is an unending supply of patience required in every MT. From the first step of learning to be one, to the time allotted to finish the required voicefiles, to the undetermined hours spent to research just a single medical word, and not counting that of the editing and proofreading part, all of these require enormous amount of patience.

Humility. I think the virtue of humility will always be a part of every MT because one is constantly being trained and retrained by every new file they encounter. One never stops learning thus I guess each MT accepts the fact that “the road to a perfect file is still far beyond the horizon.”

Openness. Every voicefile done is expected to have a mistake or a blank or a grammatical error may have been overlooked, thus an MT may be criticized and corrected. All these are normal settings, a part of an MT’s day to day struggles. An MT is always open to change, open to criticism, and open to be corrected for the better.

Commitment. When an MT starts a new file, there begins the commitment. A commitment to finish it and to present is as perfect as it should be.

Learning to become an MT is one thing but becoming an MT is another.

Written by: Jeanette Lee-Nicolas MD

Study Tips for the Aspiring MT

The basic foundation of all learning is the development of a study habit. The habit of reading, understanding, researching, and listening is a result process of constancy. The medical transcription course similarly entails such a habit. Since an MT course is primarily the development of skills in listening, research, and typing; the knowledge of medicine makes the backbone for such a skill. Thus, here are some study tips for the aspiring MT:

1. Read and listen. I cannot overemphasize the importance of reading the topic of discussion prior to its lecture. In this way, you are able to prime your brain of what to expect and possibly get the answer to the questions you encountered while reading.
2. Application by usage. There is no better way to memorize anything than to frequently use it. In medical transcription, we are trained to be medical linguist. Therefore, any new knowledge of its language must be used in our day to day activities
3. Compile. The medical science is so vast. With the longest training of 9 months as an MT, one cannot expect to grasp the totality of that field. So whenever you encounter a new word (especially drug names), write it down in your notes. Take note of the pronunciation, spelling, and their usage. Compile all these and who knows, you might come up with a new thesaurus of your own?
4. Practice, practice and practice. Since medical transcription is a skill that we can develop, the only way one becomes good or even the best is to practice… practice typing, practice listening, and practice researching.

Written by: Jeanette Lee-Nicolas MD/Medical Transcriptionist

MT Bloopers

There is "humor" in medicine. An MT should possess a lively sense of humor as he or she will hear much to laugh about in a typical day's dictation. The comic relief afforded by the humor in medicine does not mean the MT is insensitive to the importance of the medical reports being transcribed. Laughter helps relieve stress in any profession or occupation and helps us to maintain a sense of balance and perspective. Sometimes the MT can produce some hilarious "funnies" as well, often called "bloopers."

Consider this one: The doctor dictates "senile cataract." The MT mistakenly types: "penile cataract" instead. As she or he was happily typing along it truly sounded like "penile cataract" rather than "senile cataract." Of course, with skillful proofreading the mistake would be corrected, and the blooper would end up as an addition in the funny file. When coffee breaks roll around, this type of blooper provides a good laugh shared with colleagues.

Now consider one such as this: A doctor dictated, "This is the second hospital admission for a 75-year-old white male who was found under the bed in his hotel room and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of the problem." In an otherwise normal workday, suddenly this type of a sentence sounding through your ear plugs of the transcribing machine can be absolutely hilarious and even funnier if you have other MTs to share it with. Of course, the sentence had to be edited for final copy of the medical record. Most physicians know they are not "perfect" and will appreciate the MT’s medical knowledge, alertness and editing ability.

MTs today can work in a variety of settings. However, working alone is not always as ideal as you might think. If you find yourself in business alone or your facility has moved your medical transcription office inside your home, you can still find ways to share with other colleagues the little bloopers you have encountered during your work schedule. Just remember the confidentiality rules and never discuss specific details or give the names of those patients who had bloopers (you caught and fixed).

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. © 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved. Excerpts from Connie Limon. Visit http://www.aboutmedicaltranscription.info to learn more about the unique and wonderful profession of Medical Transcription. Sign up for our FREE newsletters about this career choice.

I Can Be A Medical Transcriptionist

Being a medical transcriptionist is not easy. It is not enough for someone to just have good listening skills and computer skills. You must also have a comprehensive knowledge on medical terminologies and language skills to become a transcriptionist. Medical transcriptionists must also develop their typing speed to be able to transcribe medical dictations as fast as possible but still ensuring high quality of work. One must also be hardworking and determined to excel in this profession. Patience is also very important. Aside from that, medical transcriptionists also face a lot of responsibilities. They are also responsible in ensuring that the patients' data and other confidential informations about the patients are kept in private as governed by HIPAA (Health Insurance Accountability and Portability Act).

Before I studied medical transcription, I really didn't have any idea that it would take a lot of patience, hardwork, and determination to become one. When I heard about it on the radio, watched documentaries about it on TV, and read articles regarding medical transcription on newspapers, it seemed like a very easy and simple job. And then, when I decided to study medical transcription, I discovered that I was completely wrong. It is not that easy at all. But I said to myself, "I can do it." I know I can finish this course if I just study hard and do my best.

In reality, becoming a medical transcriptionist is not a thing that could be done overnight. It really takes a lot of effort, patience, hardwork, and determination. I am still a neophyte in this field; I have just started working several months ago. I have yet to further develop my skills and learn a lot of things.

I enjoy my work now. I discover and learn many things everyday. I become more patient, my typing skills improved, and my listening skills are much better than before. I am a more responsible person now. To those of you who are aspiring to be a medical transcriptionist, your good listening skills, typing skills, comprehensive knowledge on medical terms, and language skills together with your patience, hardwork, and sense of responsibility will help you go a long way in this profession. And most of all, love what you do; it definitely helps!

Written by: Pinky Verdon
Nursing Undergrad

Davao City seen as emerging ICT hub amid unrests

A recently concluded XMG Global Offshoring Leadership Study revealed that Davao City in the Mindanao Region of the Philippines will be a viable alternative site 3 years from now. This result is part of an ongoing study conducted between January to March 2008, which focuses on forecasting the global demand for offshoring and outsourcing services and the site optimization of emerging cities.

Despite periods of turmoil in the Mindanao Region, outsourcing vendors and captives who participated in the study are very bullish about Davao City primarily due to the area’s larger population of untapped qualified resources compared to Cebu City in the Visayas Region north of Mindanao. The study highlighted that competition in Cebu City is nearing saturation as the talent ramp-up continues.

Among others, the study highlighted the population of Davao City as considerably higher than other Tier-2 offshoring cities globally. In the Philippine context, Davao City’s population is 71% higher than Cebu City, 499% larger than Olongapo-Subic City 333% higher than Angeles-Clark City and 340% larger than Baguio City. The city’s estimated workforce is twice of Cebu, 9 times of Subic and 7 times of Clark and 6 times of Baguio. This has not even taken to account the manpower pool at the nearby cities and provinces of Davao City.

According to the study, Davao City has various educational institutions annually yielding a higher number of IT and BPO qualified graduates than Subic, Clark and Baguio by 689%, 278% and 40% respectively.

Citing previous years 2007 XMG Offshoring Risk and Infrastructure Index Reports, Davao City has been upgraded to a level C2 rating from its previous level D standing as the city emerges as a viable site for captive and outsourcing services. “Compared to other cities in the south, Davao City is very promising and it is seen to be the next generation city that would benefit large captives provided that risk issues are addressed properly”, concludes XMG Researcher Camille Lumbang.

About XMG

Headquartered in Victoria, Canada XMG provides unbiased and highly actionable ICT research, advisory and research-based consulting services to help companies become agile, adaptive and efficient in the use or marketing of information technology and information technology services. XMG’s extensive research and insights help end-users, service providers and captives develop the appropriate strategic response, market penetration strategies and the development of operations excellence.

Completely vendor independent and not aligned with any hardware, software or consulting vendors, XMG ensures an objective fulfillment to solely operate in the best interests of our Customers. Whether Customers are end-user clients, vendors or service providers, the ultimate goal of XMG is to become our Customers long-term trusted ICT Advisor.

Editing With Grace

Transcription requires patience, excellent research and grammar skills, hearing acuity, and above‑average “fund of knowledge in medical subjects.” Editing also requires such qualities, in an amplified level.

Perseverance is also needed. Looking for a term or re-listening to it over and over again just to decipher it seems like a daunting task. A transcriptionist must have that intuitive ability to know that such a term is researchable and this ability is not acquired overnight. Composure is another thing. Sometimes, it is frustrating to do editing especially if the dictating physician has a bad accent, low voice quality, or the voicefile itself is of poor audio quality. No matter how hard you try to listen to it, you just can’t get it. It’s when frustration sometimes comes in and this is when we need to get hold of ourselves or check our egos or else, the transcribed document would be a total mess. We also need to be aware of our responsibility to make editing changes where they will enhance but not change the meaning. A blank is always an honorable thing rather than filling it up with words that might change or endanger the content. It is better and preferable than guessing.

Editing is the process of checking the transcribed file while listening to the dictation. It is when we alter, adapt or refine the transcribed document especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose. We check for errors in spelling, grammar, medical and English terms, punctuation, inconsistencies, redundancies, slang forms and contractions.

The transcribed report is a completely different document from the dictation. The “um’s” and “ah’s,” the awkward pauses, the rattling of pages and x-ray films, the ICU beeps and hospital pages, the screaming child, the dictator’s chewing are already gone, etc. The abbreviations expanded. The grammatical errors rectified. The inconsistencies resolved. The physician is the author of a document; we are the editors. We have reworked the dictation, we have corrected, we have honed, we have sharpened, we have clarified, but we have not changed content. As conscientious editors, we have preserved the integrity of the physician’s/author’s style. -- Journal of AAMT (Barbara Ellis, CMT)

Medical Transcriptionist

I bet working at the comforts of your home is one thing you've been dreaming of. Many years back, this wasn’t possible, right? But nowadays, it is doable to have a flourishing career and at the same time enjoy lots of time for family life.

Rewarding careers is just a click away. With a few encoding capabilities and some writing prowess, you’re on your way to making a huge bucks while improving relationships with your loved ones.

I'm sure you've heard of Medical Transcription. The magical tasks of documenting enormous amount of medical records has come to the Philippine shores. Just like the contact call center, MT is considered a sunshine industry sector of the larger business process outsourcing.

There is a huge demand for MTs. The jobs created by this industry can contribute to poverty alleviation by providing employment to a large number of the workforce. Thanks to outsourcing, now everyone has a chance to achieve their dream without leaving the country.

The Medical Transcription business never forsakes quality for quantity. The Filipino MT is starting to get recognition for their commitment to accuracy. We have the determination and perseverance to become world-class professionals. Many of us have invested in getting ourselves quality MT training and familiarizing ourselves with the technology associated with our line of work. We scrutinize the curriculum of MT training schools to see to it that we get well-rounded and comprehensive medical transcription training which instill the value of quality customer support and commitment to turnaround time.

Several options are open for those interested. There are business/trade school classes, distance learning classes (home study courses), training in house with MT service companies, and possibly, learning it on your own. But learning it with the industry's best will surely do the trick. It's about time to make that crucial decision. Let's be READY for the next biggest thing to happen in this country. Start building your career …..Be a Medical Transcriptionist!

Davao’s Transcription Sector Growing Stronger

Is the transcription opportunity a myth or reality? How many times have we heard doubts and anxieties expressed on whether the opportunities in this sector will still be around in the next few years? Will it go the way of other technical/vocational careers that promised jobs, only to find out that there is little available. And if there was an opening, it would cost an arm and a leg to cough up the placement fees.

Study the market potential, analyze the trends, look up projections, visit BPO websites and chat forums and you will learn that this is no MYTH! A healthy and robust growth is projected for the medical transcription industry. The target market share of the Philippines for 2008 is at US $110 Million. We need no less than 50,000 MT trained to meet the projected revenues. The transcription sector is seeing a huge growth potential not only in medical but other transcription specialty areas – general, business, legal, accounting, etc.

Davao’s transcription sector has grown from only 4 companies operating in 2006 to about 10 companies offering transcription service locally and globally. The transcription sector includes independent contractors or sole proprietors that serve clients directly or through a sub-contract agreement.

With increasing interest from Cebu and Manila to tap Davao for its human resource requirement, coupled with the continued implementation of the PGMA scholarship program, a definite upswing is seen in the demand for qualified and trained transcriptionists. Davaoenos are invited to join in the upcoming BPO HR Forum on June 11-13, 2008 and listen to leading companies talk about career opportunities in the transcription sector.

Written by: Wit Holganza - President of Transcription Alliance of Davao, Inc. (TADI)

Random Musing of a Customer Service Officer

Hi! I’m Hunee. I sell people to the idea of exploring a career in transcription and the benefits that can be had from being a transcriptionist. While I am just on my way to completing a finishing program on medical transcription, the thought that I am not yet a career practitioner myself doesn’t make me less effective on the job.

Everyday I wake up asking myself how I can effectively get the message across to you, my target audience. The whys and the hows would resound in my head as I mull over ways to get you interested and what would get you to dedicate some minutes of your precious time listening to a career orientation. It’s all about putting myself in your shoes and asking myself those same questions any potential student would pose.

I am responsible for creating the noise and the buzz for people to be aware of new things in our neighborhood. The fact that it is such a new industry makes it doubly hard. The buzz I create is not based on flimsy, run of the mill type. I research and draw from facts, trends and developments in the industry. I avoid over-promising and I never try to sell a beautiful made-up dream that will never see reality.

It’s not easy. For that matter, no job is ever to be taken lightly especially if it entails having to convince people and influence their decisions and choices. I dedicate a lot of time studying, researching, rehearsing and making that extra effort to tell YOU, my customers that the opportunities in this sector of business process outsourcing is HUGE. And only those who persevere will reap the greatest rewards of this sunrise industry.

Why I Took Up Medical Transcriptions #1

I took up medical transcription because my sun was setting and I had nowhere to go. Sometimes we come to a certain point in our lives where we are left with limited choices. I too come to face to face with this dilemma, but I guess fate was still on my favor. For I stumbled upon medical transcription. I have to be honest though, medical transcription was unfamiliar territory for me. An unrevealed terrain which needs further exploration. Although I had a background in the field related to the medical realm, it never really made a gargantuan difference for technically medical transcription is different. My first month was hell so I had to gather massive amounts of patience just to survive the day-to-day transcription war zone. I kept holding on to creeds just to keep my wits intact and to be sure that my sanity was still with me as my shadow is and of course, prayer was in my arsenal

Alex Bolor
Nursing Undergraduate
MTC Academy Graduate

Looking Back

I have been in the Medical Transcriptions industry for 7 years now. When I started way back 2001, the medical transcriptions industry here in Davao was in its infancy and people didn’t even have any idea about what the industry was all about. Thanks to the S-O-A-P Notes and other Physical Therapy documentation I encountered way back in college, I did not have a very hard time familiarizing myself with the process.

When I was given the opportunity to manage the first operational MT production company in Davao, I learned a lot of things and encountered a great deal of challenges as well. One of those challenges was in keeping and handling a pool of trained or seasoned transcriptionists. Before, we didn’t have any options but to hire non practicing Physical Therapists or other allied health professionals. This made the human resource pool for MT so lean and reduced the chances of non-medical degree holders to be part of the firm, and the industry as well.

However, as the need for extra MT’s grew, we resorted to hiring individuals who were graduates of non-medical courses, and gave them a one or two-month long crash course in medical transcription. The practice paid off; however, there were some who failed to cope, and didn’t reach the desired parameters required to be full-ledged MT’s. This was the predicament many MT firms faced during the early years of the industry, as there were no established MT schools yet, and no existing government guidelines or curriculum for the MT industry were still in place.

Today however, the transcription industry need not anymore worry about how and where to source qualified workers, as a significant number of TESDA-certified MT schools have already opened. While some continue to flourish, others have failed to establish themselves and were forced to either close or downsize their operations. The MT schools today effectively serve as a reliable and steady supplier of qualified MT’s, and helps to maintain a buffer pool of trained hands for the needs of the ever-expanding transcription industry in the country.

I am proud to be part of the MT industry, and am happy to be working for one of the nation’s best and most established MT schools. I will be more than glad do my share in providing the industry with a constant pool of well-trained and qualified medical transcription graduates.

Transcription Work For Second Bloomers

Where I am now can be a great thing! I am entering my own second season…a second blossoming. A time to draw from the lessons learned and the wisdom of our years, a time to turn to the creativity and the gifts we often overlook and a time to stand back and think, what is it really that I want to do with the rest of my life.

Over drinks, one evening, with other 'second bloomers', we chanced upon a friend who invited us to attend an orientation on medical transcription. So, okay, let's check it out. We went and for me, the rest is history.

I am now a transcriptionist not only doing medical transcription but also general transcription. However, it was not a walk in the park. I encountered difficulties which seemed insurmountable and there were times when I wanted to call it quits.

First of all, I never learned how to type, let alone touch type. My fingers felt so stiff that I thought, at my age, I would never make it. Another perceived obstacle was my hearing. I just could not get words right, no matter how simple they were.

To make matters worse, I realized that the medical lectures meant rising at the crack of dawn almost everyday to study for the weekly examination. My being out of school for almost 25 years was definitely not an advantage and so either I quit or take the challenge head-on. My avowed intent to prove to myself that I can do it urged me on. With prayers, perseverance and the encouragement of friends and mentors, I made it.

Not only can I now touch type, but I can also do 40 words per minute. Considering that I have never studied so hard in my whole life, I passed all the medical exams with flying colors and most of all, I can now hear! So as the quote goes, "Nothing is impossible to a willing heart."

Transcription work is not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a boring, clerical exercise. To my surprise, despite the aches of typing, every day and every file, be it medical or general, it is always a learning experience and most often, an enjoyable one.

I go to work and give it my all. At the end of the day, I head for home with a sense of fulfillment for a job well done and most importantly, with no backlogs and deadlines to lose sleep over with.

Where I am now allows me the freedom to enjoy and gratefully appreciate the ripened sense of self that I have reached. Whether transcription is just a step on my path or my dream job, the skills I have learned and the completely new field I have ventured into may make my second blossoming perhaps even more beautiful than the first.

I thank the Lord for the all the gifts and talents, big and small, that He has given me and I say, "Not to me, O Lord, but to Your Name give the glory."

Written by: Cherry Blossom

PATIENCE, PATIENCE, AND A LOT OF PATIENCE

(From left to right) Honey, Pinky, Jay, Doc Hazel, and Mimi

Schmorl's nodes? Guyon's canal? Ballotable effusion? L'Hermittes sign? Dupuytren excision? These are just a few medical terminologies that you hear or encounter in orthopedic cases. Sometimes, all you can hear is the first syllable or the last syllable of a word of phrase or sometimes nothing at all. No matter how hard you try to listen intently on the term, it just doesn’t ring a bell. You are certainly clueless!

Sometimes you either blame your headset, which, maybe is just malfunctioning or the doctor who seemed to be chewing or nibbling on something while dictating the file. In which case, it makes it even harder for you to comprehend or understand the word or phrase or perhaps, it is just one of those days that you're not "hearing well." You even find it very frustrating to look for that medical term which you cannot pronounce, spell, or decipher its meaning and at the same time, you get anxious that your line count is affected because of time slipping away.

"Grrrrrr!!! Why did I take up medical transcription?"

Fortunately, with the help of Google and some MT search engines like Stedman's, it makes it easier for you to scan down through the list of numerous terms. Patiently, you research for it and browse hurriedly through the "googillion variations" of that term. When you finally find that highfaluting term that you have been looking for, sometimes you utter to yourself, "Where in the hell did they get such term?"

So, patience, patience, and a lot more patience are needed to become an efficient transcriptionist.

Written by: Dr. Hazel Britos

Davao's First Blind Medical Transcriptionist

I once lived in a world full of sunshine, where colors were a sight to behold. But even at that time I have the ability for it, I never basked in the glory of the wonders that surrounded me. Then the brightness that showered my world suddenly turned to complete darkness. I felt alone, helpless and vulnerable. I felt afraid, confused and depressed. Then like a virus, all that I felt turned to anger, and that anger was eating me up inside. But we all have choices to make. I chose to make my life better.

I may have lost one thing, but I gained many. I fought against darkness. Darkness that ruled over me at a time, but it’s not going to get me the second time around. In a world of technology and advances in other fields of endeavor, discrimination is very much felt. We belong to a society, but we doubt if society embraces our presence. We may not be able to see or hear it, but we feel the cold stares of strangers. That’s when I decided to take computer training at Resources for the Blind or RBI. An organization that trains visually impaired people to have an access to computers.

After my computer training, I got enrolled at MTC Academy for Medical Transcription course. Being the first and the only blind student to get accepted at MTC, the pressure is on. All of my ups and downs, struggles and tears, I took it all as a challenge. With much support from my family, sponsors, friends, and God’s wisdom, I was able to finish the six-month course in four months time. After I graduated and become a certified Medical Transcriptionist, that’s the time I face the real world.

Things I’ve learn to become a successful medical transcriptionist.

MT’s can act Like an Ant. Three lessons stand out from the metaphor of the ant:

First - they appreciate the ethnic of hard work. Their lives are a flurry of constant activity as they tirelessly search for food.

Second - ants refuse to give up. They never abandon the hunt, crawling through cracks, and crevices in their pursuit of a morsel.

Third - ants understand the value of compounding. Grain by grain an ant builds the hill that becomes its home and crumb by crumb they accumulate storehouses of food.

As an MT, we have almost the same personality as an ant. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer, and gathers its food at the harvest. Each MT has a treasure trove of ability inside of them. Every MT has dreams and desires lodged within their soul to make their life better and be a successful one. Why do some people dig deep and take hold of their dreams while others let them drift away? Successful MT’s give sustained attention to what’s stirs within them. They find outlets for their passions. We were trained how to transcribe, edit and proofread as well. But it’s not all about that, we also learn the value of patience and the ethnic of hard work for our fellow MT’s. Exercising their strength is non-negotiable to become a successful MT.

FAILURES

A lot of times I’ve cried even before I became an MT. I’m a bit pressured. This is due to expectations of other people, being the first and the only visually impaired enrolled at MTC Academy and now employed at ZipIt MT Production Company. I also have this attitude of expecting too much and setting standard for myself. But I’ve come to realize that even “abled” people can make mistakes and we all learn from our failures. “Learning starts with failure; the first failure is the beginning of education.”

Working with my fellow MT’s at ZipIt Company, I’ve gain trust, courage and self-confidence from them. We don’t just sit there and listen to the doctor’s dictation until our nose and ears bleeds to death hehe! We also have time to talk anything under the sun and learning from our own failures. Now, every time I make mistake in my transcription, I always take time to ask myself these questions:

When I fail, what did I do as a result?

Did I feel bad about myself?

Did I withdraw from the pursuit of whatever it was that I failed at?

Am I now doing the thing I failed at then?

Am I doing it successfully?

Is there anything I would like to do now that I am not doing because I might fail?

How an MT answer those questions, or more accurately, how we have lived out the answers to those questions has the power to determine where we are going to end up in life.

Our answers will determine our success in the areas that we care about most. We will explore the positive ways we can deal with inevitable failures on our path to our goals. There is also another certainty; failure. It is absolutely given. It is the nature of everything. In fact, without failure we never succeed.

SUCCESS

Being visually impaired, I know there will still be a lot of failures, trials and obstacles I may encounter to become a successful transcriptionist. I’ve learned from my MT colleagues that to become a successful one, it’s not about the completion and accuracy of our work but our ATTITUDE. It is a big factor for us to become successful in everything we do. In ZipIt, I’ve learned the value of pride and humility. PRIDE is concern with WHO is right, while HUMILITY is concern with WHAT is right. Successful MT’s have a healthy dose of humility. Internally, humility comes when we admit our errors during editing, and open ourselves to instruction. Externally, humility is gained when we show patience for the mistakes of our fellow MT’s, and when we are quick to shine the spotlight on the success of others. Being a differently-abled person, I turned my disability into an ability to become a successful one.

One thing I’ve learned from our school administrator, Ms. Wit Holganza is that successful MT’s should DO something. They should initiate, create and generate.

Successful MT’s are PRO-ACTIVE as opposed to reactive. They do not see themselves as victims of circumstances, but as active participants who take steps to influence outcomes. Their days and their lives are controlled by internal motivations rather than external currents in a similar vein, successful MT’s take responsibilities and ownership for their destinations in life. They don’t assign blames, they welcome responsibility. They refuse to cede their freedom to others and live dependently. A successful MT has done leadership’s toughest task-mastery… the art of self leadership. The benefit of leading yourself well is that you don’t have to rely on others to provide direction of your life. You get to plan the course.

More News on Honey Baula:

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/06212007/economy05.html

http://mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20070701074453

http://pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p080416.htm&no=35&r=R11&y=&mo=

Transcribing with Ease

Medical transcription requires speed and accuracy. Both qualities are needed for having an "A"-result transcribed document; well, basically, if not perfectly. It is frustrating sometimes when these two qualities are not achieved immediately. Patience is required or else the medical transcriptionist would feel depressed, thus discouraging him further to improve such qualities.

Transcription can be done with ease. It must be done heartily too. It must be done without "dwelling" so much on terms that cannot be deciphered or heard for the first time. Transcribe lightheartedly, keeping in mind that re-listening to the dictation, having somebody hear them, or researching for the terms will also do the trick of solving such indecipherability. If you come to such terms that you cannot understand, flag them first by putting a blank or highlighting it. Continue transcribing until you have reached the end of the dictation file.

When you're done doing that, go back to the terms you've missed or flagged. You have three options now: re-listening to the file (this one is a must though), having somebody hear them for you, or researching the terms. Doing so, those flags or blanks can be filled in. If all else fail, leave them in a blank format. It is safer that way than having to fill them with terms that you are not sure of or that you thought that you have heard them right. Chances are, you heard wrongly. If you heard them right, they wouldn't have been flagged in the first place!

Mindanao Transcription Players Meet With MTIAPI President Myla Reyes

MTIAPI and Mindanao's transcription education and service organizations in a round table discussion of challenges and opportunities last April 11, 2008 at MEDCo offices

Mindanao’s transcription players welcomed MTIAPI president, Myla Reyes and Executive Director, Raymund Eruma in a first-ever Mindanao-wide effort to gather issues and challenges faced by both medical transcription educational organizations and service organizations. Representatives from the cities of Butuan, Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and Tacurong listened intently as Ms. Reyes presented key industry trends and developments. The optimistic forecast of growth for the transcription industry provided hope for Mindanao’s SMITEs who seek to become competitive players in the global arena.

“MTIAPI hopes to establish stronger branding, front-end awareness, and linkages with relevant international associations, as well as find partners and open up more business opportunities for our local MT companies. Furthermore, the Philippines is heavily promoting its medical transcription capabilities to the United States in a bid to raise its market share,” according to Myla Rose Mundo-Reyes, president of the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines (MTIAPI).

It was heartening to note that TADI (Transcription Alliance of Davao, Inc) shares MTIAPI’s desire to strengthen the advocacy for uplifting the quality and image of the MT career professional. Noteworthy suggestions also came from Cagayan de Oro to create forums where career professionals can generate leads and exchange best practices. Ms. Reyes cautioned though that any participant to these fora must practice responsible communication as perceptions of our foreign counterparts are strongly influenced by these exchanges. A majority of the players believed that the MT education platform must include values formation and other soft skills building programs.

With the growing shortage of medical transcription personnel in the US coupled with the increasing older population of Americans, the consistent offshore capabilities of the Philippines can propel us to become a dominant player in the future. And as the cost of doing business becomes more attractive in the provincial hubs, it makes more sense to explore the capabilities of Mindanao’s transcription sector.

(Published with permission from TADI President)

MTC Academy Davao

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in Davao City may still be in the early stages of sorts as compared to other much larger and more established urban centers in the country. However, future prospects are still abloom for further growth in the industry. But the city is moving swiftly in gaining a larger piece of the pie when it comes to IT and outsourcing field. In the field of medical transcription, MTC Academy Davao is recognized as the premier and most established medical transcription training institution in the country that has a number of branches located in the key cities throughout the Philippines.

On May 30, 2008, MTC Academy Davao, also known by its corporate name, Nanoscript, Inc., further cemented itself as full-pledged partner in the development of the BPO industry in the city by officially joining the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI). The firm along with the other six (6) companies and private entities were officially inducted into the Chamber's fold which signified as a major step of the school in making further inroads towards the development by not just of the medical transcription training sector but also to the overall development and growth of the city's business environment. The Davao Chamber is recognized locally and internationally as an institution that has diverse membership base which comprises of small, medium, and large businesses as well as organizations of all types and diverse backgrounds across the city in the region. The Chamber's membership base covers all aspects of the city's economy from agribusiness to small and medium entrepreneurs from heavy industry to individual or corporate professional service firms and associations.

Being a member of the Davao Chamber, it will enable the MTC Academy Davao to engage in effective partnerships with other member firms and it also gives a distinction of being a part of an organization that has repeatedly garnered awards from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry which is seen as one of the best organizations in the country as well.

RP Needs 32,000 Medical Transcriptionist

On the Philippine Daily Inquirer last April 9, 2008, it was posted that the country's medical transcription industry has to boost its workforce three times in order to increase its share of the total offshore market valued at around $18 billion.

According to (MTIAPI)-Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines, local companies have missed out on lucrative contracts from US outsourcers due to a lack of capacity. The demand of medical transcriptionist has to be tripled than that of the current workforce which is around 10,000. Ms. Myla Rose Reyes, president of MTIAPI mentioned that the country must have around 32,000 medical transcriptionists by 2010 so it could adequately address the demand. As a result, MTIAPI is focusing on the development of a bigger pool of qualified transcriptionists to meet up the fast turnaround requirements of large foreign customers. They are now developing related skills training and certification programs with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPA/P), and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA).

Read more about the article here.

WHAT's HOT ABOUT BUSINESS TRANSCRIPTION?

You have probably heard of transcription before. Medical transcription gets a lot of attention, but there are some other types of transcription as well. One of it, which also shows a large demand in the Business Process Outsourcing industry (BPO), is the Business Transcription.

Transcription services are required in almost every area of the business spectrum. The very need to put the spoken word into text automatically creates demand for Business Transcription. Too much of transcription work in corporate world can put undue load on the existing staff and so companies outsource them to business transcriptionists. Realizing this, more and more companies are now going for transferring their transcription work to a different company. This can be cheap too if the company goes for outsourced business transcription services.

To get transcription work outsourced, the company records their meetings, seminars or conventions. This is then uploaded to a specified location from where the transcription company can download it to start off with the transcription work. Transcription companies accept audio files in various formats. MS Word or any other text processing software is used for creating transcripts. These transcripts would then be sent via email or simply uploaded to the location from where the company can have it.

Outsourced business transcription companies hire employees that need not be in sync with the rules and regulations of the country from where their clients send them recordings. However, many transcription tasks include understanding data and transcribing accordingly. Also, American accents and terms may be hard to follow for home grown transcriptionists. To avoid such problems, a Filipino transcriptionist should at least be exposed in a comprehensive training program for Business Transcriptions to familiarize themselves with business terms and develop their listening skills. They should be exposed in different files that can have American accent, Asian accent or even European accent. This ensures the best rates with no compromise on quality. MTC Academy Davao is now offering its course in Business Transcription. You can call them at 222-6822 for any inquiries.

How Medical Coding And Billing Aids The Healthcare Industry

We all know that the US is a truly litigious society, and to see people file lawsuits of all sorts and types against individuals, organizations or institutions is a common occurrence. With this backdrop, it’s vital for medical practitioners and healthcare providers to constantly maintain a sharp eye towards correct and accurate medical billing and coding. This field is considered as the new backbone of the current healthcare system, and with better-trained medical billers and coders, the healthcare provider should also be a much better and more responsible one. And this does not apply only to the countries like US, or Europe. It is actually mandated by Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth).

Read Circular No. 4, s-2001

What’s With This Job?

Basically, this tough but rewarding jobs main tasks include assigning proper medical billing and coding documentation per case, and then submitting this to the corresponding insurance company and/or federal agency. The goal of proper medical coding and billing, , is for the healthcare provider to be reimbursed correctly. However, there is another extremely vital aspect that the medical billing expert needs to achieve, and that is to avoid the risk of fraud.

Other Aspects Of Medical Coding

The highly- specialized nature of this job such aspects such as administration, bookkeeping, accurate completion of claim forms, prompt dispatchment of insurance billing, detailed understanding of health insurance, patient accounts representation, and appointment scheduling. It is therefore important to understand the importance and highly-skilled nature of this job, and why these healthcare workers are known to generally get good-paying wages working in a private doctor or dentist’s office, hospital, HMO, nursing home, pharmacy and other health-related organizations. These individuals could even work from home too. In addition, this segment of the health technician profession is also considered to be among the ten fastest-growing jobs in the entire spectrum of the combined health occupation field.

MTC Experience

MTC Academy experience of
CaRoL SiMoN, 4^th Year Marketing student
of Ateneo De Davao University.

I had my OJT at MTC Academy. At first, I didn’t have any idea of what it is that I would be doing there. I was tasked with marketing, so I figured that this would help me improve my marketing strategies and at the same time help people know what MTC Academy really is.

I was really having a hard time adjusting to the quota that I had to meet (to think that I was alone and my partner was pulled-out plus my other classmates’ assignments were SO easy. Clerical jobs!). Because of these things, I almost backed-out from finishing my OJT. I took this chance as an opportunity to improve myself; I took it as a training ground for my real job when I finish my studies.

I challenged myself to finish the OJT and surpass it with my best efforts. Everything we go through is a challenge; no matter how simple or hard it is, we just need to decide. So I decided and challenged myself. I saw it as a stepping stone for my future career. I was sure that this experience will surely prepare me in my future career. I know that each challenge that I encounter in my life must be surpassed and I know that with perseverance and discipline, I will be able to surpass them.

Everyone at MTC is expected to multitask, my experience there made me discover that I am excellent in doing it. I learned that adapting to a task will surely make you learn and grow both emotionally and psychologically. The marketing department of MTC Academy has the heaviest load compared to the other departments. They needed to think of marketing strategies to make MTC known to more people. This gave me hands-on training that added to my knowledge in marketing. I found out that when compared to application of marketing, theories are easy.

One of the important things that I learned is that if you are determined to do the job that is assigned to you and willing to be trained, you won’t have a problem. As a trainee, it is very important to have an open mind. Willingness to learn gave me the hunger for learning and thus, excitement in the job that I do.

My short stay with MTC made me realize that learning is a continuous process. What I had experienced will help me become responsible in the job that I will do. The company treated me as one of their employees, the employees didn’t give me special treatment, which made me mature. The speaking in English policy or I call it “New York City in Philippines” helped me boost my confidence in speaking in English since I was immersed in an English-speaking environment. As an OJT, the company trusted me with their data and they also assigned me to do their regular reports such as weekly marketing report and monthly marketing report. They also trained me in career orientation stimulation. They treated me maturely and my acceptance of the job helped me learn new things and gave me decision making responsibility.

My on-the-job training with MTC Academy made me mature and taught me responsibility. Not only that, but I also learned that working can be fun at the same time.

Thank You MTCA for the unforgettable experience you have shared to my life.

Jeziel Estrella
My Experience

One of the important parts of my life is working here at MTC Academy. It gave me a glimpse of what is waiting for me after I graduate. They say that life in a working environment is very hard compared in school. I think it wasn’t all that bad or I'm just saying this because I'm a trainee. But sometimes it is difficult. There are times when I am tasked to do a lot of things at the same time. It was fun, and educational. I had a hard time at first, but once I got a little accustomed to things, it wasn't so bad. Some of the work I've done helped me understand things that are taught in school.

I like working here at MTC Academy. I like the environment, the kind of business it is, the parties, especially the parties! I also like the people here. They're all so nice and friendly. It's like one big happy family.

I experienced doing some journal writing, which was very tiring. And I did some filing of bank deposits. I learned how they are handled and why it is important to file them. I also experienced working on different kinds of vouchers and their uses. I did some encoding too. I experienced answering phone calls. I freaked out at first, but now I just stutter. Sometimes.

Working here at MTC Academy prepared me for things to come after I graduate. It helped me become ready to face challenges ahead of me. It helped me in discovering my purposes in life.

Vernice Ria G. Calderon
“My MTC Experience”

When I knew that I am going to have my OJT at MTC Academy, the first thing that came to mind was “How is medical transcription related with management accounting?” But when I started training with MTC, I realized that I was luckier than those who were assigned in banks. My classmates told me that they were only given clerical works. They even felt disappointed because they weren’t able to apply what they learned in school. At MTC, I am not only treated as a trainee but as a real employee. I am given tasks that are truly connected with accounting. MTC entrusted me with information not usually disclosed in other companies. I was not only assigned to file records but I was also given tasks like posting entries in the ledger, issuing deposit slips and issuing purchase requisition slips. I also appreciate that the company exposed me with a marketing job. For instance, I was trained how to deal and entertain queries from clients.

When I was trained to orient regarding medical transcription and about MTC Academy, I gained more confidence because my oral communication skill was enhanced. Before, I was hesitant whether I will thrive to this kind of work environment which is more on oral communication. My learning in school was not parallel to the exposure that I am given at MTC Academy. I was used to just compute and analyze data. But now I am a bit shocked that I have to interact with different kinds of people. At first, I doubted myself on how would I convince other people to believe what I am saying and look credible. But with the encouragement of my co-workers and with their training, I was able to overcome my doubts and fears.

Another policy that I find really helpful in MTC is their English speaking rule. I am now more comfortable in conversing in English unlike before when I felt awkward in using the language. But the most important experience that I had is that through my stay in the company, I had a glimpse of what the real world is, outside the four corners of my classroom. Moreover, one of the factors that made my experience at MTC memorable was to be able to meet my co-workers. I felt that I was part of their family. I never felt that I was out of place. There were very welcoming and approachable. Truly, I did not only gain more knowledge about the real experience of having a job but I also gained new friends.