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SPi headhunting expedition to Davao

Job Generation: The Challenge

SPI Technologies Inc., one of the world’s leading business process outsourcing (BPO) service providers for transcriptions came to Davao City last June 19, 2009 to assess the medical transcription talent pool for deployment to their Cebu and Manila-based operations.

With MTC Academy-Davao City (Nanoscript Inc.) as their recruitment partner, the task of advertising the job vacancies amounting to 300 transcribers was immediately communicated via an email blast and poster announcement. Complimenting this effort, MTC Academy Davao joined the June 12-14, 2009 DOLE Jobs Fair and putting up ads in several social and public service networks.

With over 50 applicants answering the call for resume submissions, MTC Davao administered its screening and assessment tools to assess the readiness of the pool.

The surplus in allied health professionals, in particular nurses, who are not able to leave the country for work abroad has made medical transcription an appealing alternative. The increasing unemployment rate in the City has also pre-disposed the non medical graduate pool to check the opportunities in this sector. Thus an overwhelmingly sizable number of job applicants coming from the various industries and from various parts of the city and its outskirts.

Medical Transcription: The Job

Medical transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence, and other administrative material. MTs generally listen to recordings on a headset, using a foot pedal to pause the recording when necessary, and key the text into a personal computer or word processor, editing as necessary for grammar and clarity. The documents they produce include discharge summaries, medical history and physical examination reports, operative reports, consultation reports, autopsy reports, diagnostic imaging studies, progress notes, and referral letters. Medical transcriptionists return transcribed documents to the physicians or other health care professionals who dictated them for review and signature or correction. These documents eventually become part of patients’ permanent files.

BPO Units: The Answer

SPI Technologies was founded in the Philippines in 1980. It is now a multi-country outsourcing provider with over 6,500 employees in 24 locations across the United States, Europe and Asia. It serves various markets in the publishing, financial services, health care, legal and retail areas.

In the Philippines, SPI employs 4,000 people, representing about 65 percent of its global workforce.

Aggressive in its hiring mode, SPI Training Director Rainier R. Egos came with its Vice President for Asian Operations Mr. Francis Patalinghug.

Mr. Patalinghug joined SPi in 2008 to lead and manage the Healthcare operations in both Philippines and India. He has 24 years of extensive experience in the field of manufacturing in the areas of process development, work simplification, volume-ramp management and productivity improvement, among others. Throughout his career, Francis held various senior positions in companies like NEC Technologies, Philippines; Loctite Philippines and Amkor Technology Philippines. His most recent position was with Claymount Assemblies Philippines, where he was their Manufacturing Director. Francis is a graduate of BS Chemical Engineering from the University of San Carlos, Philippines.

Recent developments show that SPI Technology had just recently opened its medical transcription facility at Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City. It has over 500 seats and has hired 150 employees with medical backgrounds for the said branch.

SPi serves hundreds of healthcare clients across the US. They range in size and scale from some of the largest hospitals, to large university teaching facilities, to mid-size physician practices. And at each of these organizations, we regularly work with different individuals to meet the needs of their specific programs.

SPi and Its Underlying Principles

Its byline: Global Resources. Customer-Centric Solutions.

SPi has been known to deliver highly accurate medical transcription services, 24 hours a day, every day, to hospitals, physician practices, and other healthcare organizations across North America. Now true to its form to go global has literally made its presence in the Asian Region.

It recently inked an agreement to buy the medical transcription business of India-based KG Information Services Private Limited located in Coimbatore, which has a capacity of 800 seats.

SPI has also expanded its Dumaguete publishing facility to accommodate additional 450 staff members.

Mr. Patalinghug on the other hand cited that SPi does not subcontract transcription to other vendors. The service they provide is handled by their own team of well-trained, experienced, and carefully screened professional medical language specialists: men and women who are fully accountable to SPi. Their data security meets or exceeds all HIPAA standards, and their medical language specialists are supported by hands-on experienced supervisors, project managers and experts in medical terminology. These factors help to account for their 98% plus level of accuracy.

Seeing the great potential of Davaoeños as potential human resource backed up by their level of proficiency in the command of the English language and intonation they deemed it vital to tap resources from the city.

The Results

Last July 17, 2009 after almost a month long wait for the results, SPi has released the results of the almost 54 candidates.

Seven were considered for OJT Training (Basic MT Training) in MTC Davao, namely Kenneth Robbe Apresa, Daniel Bok, Lixel Arbas, Jonie Jane Tayhon, Gypsy Jennsen Arquio, Celeste Ang and Jeanelyn Andrin.

For Apprenticeship training in SPi’s Manila facility are Bjarnye Ysatisse Pedida, Joebert Sarong and Scott Philip Carmen. Mr. Carmen will only train for 1 month and will be considered as MT Probationary in Manila.

For OJT training in SPi’s Cebu facility are Ma. Elaisa Evangelio and Shannen Kinichi Aquino. The former for Basic MT Training and the latter for Apprenticeship. Chester Von Ferrer and Julie Anne Butlig were also considered of Apprenticeship in their Cebu facility.

Congratulations to those who made it. The three-type examination they had encountered that day and the waiting time for the interview seemed to be a mazelike race they underwent. Indeed the road to success has a very thin and narrow pathway. Biblically many indeed are called but few are chosen. Nevertheless, the thrill and excitement of acquiring a job with one of the most formidable company in the country is an insurmountable feat to achieve.

MTC Academy then is looking forward for a possible partnership with SPi Technologies and ePLDT in training and acquiring more medical transcriptionists in the City of Davao. A realization that Davao City is a mine of potential human resource in this arena validating what was stipulated in the survey by Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), a research company on the Asian Cities of the Future that Davao City, along with Singapore and Hong Kong, is in the top five cities in Asia with the best human resource. Further, Davao City was also listed in the top ten Asian cities in the same survey. This venture will help the human resource pool for medical transcription mature as they are being exposed to big companies like SPi Technologies and in turn will benefit Davao Transcription industry for having more competent transcriptionists who will soon come back to Davao.

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.

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.

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.

Tales From a Medical Transcriptionist

When I was working as a clerk in a government agency six years ago, we spent the whole day encoding, posting files and other data manually, writing down data, and typing them it on a PC's word processor or database software. We took tabs of numbers, names, and even minutes of meetings. The only time the word transcription was present then, was in the courts, where stenographers write down, or transcribes the legal proceedings that they were listening to.

Fast forward to 2000. As the industrialized economics were focusing on cutting costs, and raising profits, the idea of outsourcing some aspects of daily business duties and processes to other countries, came forth. Western firms started "outsourcing", or literally transferring and moving some of their departments, to countries they prefer, especially if they offered low labor and relocation function. India became one of the earliest, and it still is the largest, recipient of BPO's, or business process outsourcing jobs. Transcription jobs followed the initial call center wave, and transcription jobs were purely medical in nature at the start. Today, the art of transcription covers just about anything that requires the need to be recorded on paper, and kept in electronic files. Transcription jobs at present range from medical and legal transcription, to events and entertainment, podcast, as well as business transcription. I spent two years working as an MT, usually working on orthopedics and plastic surgery cases, as well as doing general clinic notes. Around five years ago, there were only 2 small MT firms doing business in Davao; At present there are around 8 to 10 I guess, and more perhaps are planning of setting shop here. In becoming a good MT, one is required to possess not only a sound comprehension of medical terms and practices, but also the patience of a monk, since there are occasions when you, the MT, will find your doctor's voice to be dreadfully inaudible at times. He or she could be dictating and brushing his/her teeth at the same time, and outright tricky sometimes, but the rewards pay off for those who have the virtues of patience, perseverance and enthusiasm firmly embedded in their brains, and ears as well.

Written by: Charles Joven

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