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.