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.