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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.

“Good job, Jenifer”, says PGMA to the SONA Honoree from Davao City.

Amidst the thunderous applause that resonated in the Batasan, jubilant over the accomplishments of President Gloria Macapagal during the 9^th State of the Nation Address for the 3rd Regular Session of the 14th Congress, it could not be discounted that there too were many exchanged sarcasms.

But what is resounding to the world of Medical Transcriptionists and Davaoeños, if not the entire nation in general is the name “Jenifer Silbor.” Just exactly who is Jennifer Silbor, the SONA Honoree mentioned by GMA? If FVR has Mang Pandoy, is Jenifer Silbor his counterpart? Is her success story a laurel to one of the many PGMA projects?

Jenifer Aileen B. Silbor was among the SONA Honorees invited by the President through the Presidential Management Staff and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). But to us, she is more than what was presented last July 27. She is an MTC Academy – Davao alumni, a recipient of the PGS scholarship program under TESDA. She graduated last November 2008 and because of her exemplary performance, she was then immediately accepted in December 2008 as a home-based medical transcriptionist for MTC Academy – Davao’s sister company, ZipIT Solutions Inc. . Further was hired as a medical transcription mentor for MTC Academy-Davao.

The honor, the accomplishment, the financial independence gained marked the many facets of who Jenifer Silbor is. Dedication, hard work, determination and perseverance were attributes that Jeni possessed…traits that earned her a place not only for her family, her workplace but the entire country as well.

A feat that any diligent, spiritually driven and emotionally motivated Filipino can achieve.

"In technical education and skills training, we have invested three times that of three previous administrations combined. Narito si Jennifer Silbor, isa sa sampung milyong trainee. Natuto siya ng medical transcription. Now, as an independent contractor and lecturer for transcriptions in Davao, kumikita siya ng P18,000 bawat buwan. Good job, Jennifer. "-PGMA (SONA 2009)

OPEN HOUSE AT MTC ACADEMY

Scholarships for BPO skills of OFW Dependents Brings Hope for Displaced Workers

In a recent visit by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Davao City last February 19, 2009, Davaoenos welcomed the good news that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has continued to offer scholarships for skills training for OFW’s dependents. The scholarship called, “Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)” enables a qualified applicant to avail of either a one-year or a six-month technical vocational course with financial assistance of P14,500.00 paid directly to the training provider. OWWA beneficiaries, to include the spouse of a married OFW, children not older than 21 years old, or a sibling not older than 21 years of a single OFW, may now qualify for application to the SESP.

While the OWWA scholarship may be used for any technical training program, the ICT & IT-BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry of Davao City through TADI (Transcription Alliance of Davao, Inc.) has emphasized the need for qualified transcription manpower as the demand for trained transcribers continues to rise. The 2008 projection for number of transcription jobs is seen to grow by at least 35% over previous year.

Since 2007, MTC Academy, a transcription training service provider, has trained and graduated 8 number of OWWA scholars. Many of these scholars have been extended job placement assistance and have been deployed in various transcription service companies operating of Davao City. Some OWWA scholar/graduates have also successfully transitioned to become home-based transcription service providers. MTC Academy will continue to accept OWWA-SESP scholars for training in business, legal or medical transcriptions.

Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need for the workforce to build BPO-related skills to cope with the projected robust growth of the non-voice sector (transcriptions, data entry, web & graphics development and animation). With the increasing number of displaced OFW workers, the IT-BPO industry is seen as a bright spot that can cushion the impact of the global crisis to the Philippine economy.

5.66 Billion of PGSP Subsidy in 2009 Up for Grabs for Davaoeños

Since 2006 the government has aggressively pursued the goal of 1 Million jobs by 2010 through the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). For the year 2009, a total of 809,800 scholarship slots are up for grabs under the PGSP or the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship Program administered by the Technical Educational Skills and Development Authority (TESDA). The announcement was made by Regional Director Elmer K. Talavera during a meeting with technical vocational schools last February 9, 2009 at the Korea-Philippines Training Center in Buhisan, Tibungco, Davao City.

RD Talavera also mentioned that Davao del Sur including Davao City will be awarding a total of 14,000 scholarships. "The scholar is also given a daily allowance of P60 to cover for transportation and food while in attendance to the program," Talavera said.

Included in the TESDA list of programs which can qualify under the PGSP program is the Finishing Course in Medical Transcription NCII (160 hours) and Finishing Course in Legal Transcription NCII (160 hours). Since 2006, MTC Academy, a transcription training provider has accepted to its transcription training program over 100 TESDA scholars. The visually impaired (VIs) are among the recipients of the scholarship and several graduates are now working with local transcription companies in Davao City.

The IT-BPO industry in Davao City through its prime mover, ICT Davao Inc. welcomes the PGSP implementation as it gears up to encourage broad participation for BPO careers which is seen to grow by 35% in 2008. BPO employment is expected to contribute positively to improving the quality of life among Davaoenos as more ICT and IT-BPO investments is expected to flow into the City especially after the highly successful participation in the e-Services, an annual ICT event, where the Davao delegation sat in numerous business matching meetings.

Start your Medical Transcription Career NOW with MTC’s 16-week Program

Davao City’s transcription companies continue to enjoy increasing demand for medical transcriptions from global clients and transcription partners for data documentation and audio files conversion despite the US recession. In the last 4 months of 2008, MTC Academy in Davao City has received a succession of requests from its local partners for trained transcribers from its roster of graduates to fill the manpower requirements of transcription companies ramping up their production to meet increasing demand.

The more adept MTC students found themselves hired even before graduation from MT programs. An increasing number of graduates also found themselves hired within 1-2 weeks from graduation. Others have passed employer interviews and are simply completing their on-the-job training prior to be able to start work. This employment trend is projected to continue through 2009 as the demand for medical transcription increase and MTs begin to multi-task as a business or legal transcriptionists.

To meet this surge for human resource, MTC Academy at E. Quirino Avenue (082-222682) has given much effort to curriculum innovation and is set to launch program tracks that build transcription skills at the intermediate and advance levels for General, Legal and Medical transcriptions. The tracks are so designed to enable a beginner-student to primarily build basic skill sets such a keyboarding, computer operations, listening for accents, English proficiency and familiarity with transcription technology at the BASIC or pre-requisite level prior to gaining entry to the intermediate or advance levels.

Using the revolving curriculum for most of its programs allowing classes to start every month, MTC Academy has also restructured its MT program costs thus enhancing the value for money for all of its courses. This innovation has brought about a reduction in tuition fees ranging from 30-40% it medical transcription program.

MTC Introduces New, More Affordable Transcription Programs in 2009

Many large business owners today have a global view of the outsourced transcription industry and generally do not pose objections to getting the job done outside of country borders as long as it gets done on time and work is consistently accurate.

The good news is, the increasing demand for transcribers is now not just limited to medical but also now include legal and general/business transcriptions. The demand for qualified transcribers has continued its upswing trend and Davao City operators have continued to experience to date some degree of shortage of qualified and trained transcribers in the areas of medical and legal transcriptions.

MTC Academy’s desire to provide more value has given rise to a curriculum innovation that now includes program tracks in building transcription skills at the intermediate and advanced levels for General, Legal and Medical transcriptions. The tracks are so designed to enable a beginner-student to primarily build basic skill sets such a keyboarding, computer operations, listening for accents, English proficiency and familiarity with transcription technology at the BASIC or pre-requisite level.

For flexibility, the MTC curriculum allows students (college graduates or undergraduates from any course background) possessing basic skills to get an exemption from some pre-requisite courses and move forward to enrolling in any of the 3 main transcription tracks General Transcriptions 1(GT1), Legal Transcriptions 1 (LT1) or Medical Transcriptions 1 (MT1). To further season the transcription-trainee, MTC encourages its students to complete the advance programs of GT2, LT2 or MT2.

Using the revolving curriculum for most of its programs allowing classes to start every month, MTC Academy has also restructured its program costs thus enhancing the value for money for all of its courses. This innovation has brought about a reduction in tuition fees ranging from 30-50% for all of its 2009 programs.

Supplying more than 50% of Davao City’s manpower requirement to its corporate partners, MTC Academy located at E.Quirino Avenue corner Gen Luna St. (082-2226822) continues to fill up vacancies for transcribers by providing job placement assistance for its transcription graduates to companies here in Davao and as far as Manila and Cebu.

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.

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

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)

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