For a career in medical transcription

For candidates who wish to function in a medical environment without having to deal with blood and the lingering stench of a hospital, they can look at medical transcription. Alas, many eligible students and professionals have only too many misconceptions about the job and what it requires a candidate to possess and deliver. Unlike what many believe, the job is a lot more than just plugging in your earphones and typing away.

Medical transcription is an allied profession that requires the person to transcribe voice-recorded reports by physicians or other medical experts. It requires rigorous training and one should undergo mandatory training from institutions for a period of four to nine months before taking a job. Though one does not need specialization in any subject to qualify for transcription, certain talents and skill-sets are recommended. “We prefer people from Life Sciences streams.

Even having a pharmacy degree is a plus but it is not mandatory”, says Venkat, assistant manager with Avontix Solutions Pvt Ltd, adding that a person needs to be on his toes while on the job. However, some healthcare service companies recruit people and then train them to become efficient transcribers. While some believe that the job can be taken up part time and from home, there is a long way to go before a professional can get there.

For one, the job requires intense concentration and undivided attention apart from knowledge of medical terminology and the willingness to constantly improve one’s medical vocabulary. “Many people, especially students, believe that this is just another BPO job. They think one just has to convert audio files to word documents.

We have software for that and don’t need people.”, says a team manager from a healthcare services company, adding that transcription is by no means a low-stress job like many are inclined to believe. “The toughest part is when you have to understand a thick foreign accent while racing against time. It is not as easy as following an English movie”, says a qualified transcriber from Gurgaon, who admits that she only chooses to work for only certain companies.

Apart from being comfortable with working for different companies and various guidelines, one also has to be comfortable working with speech recognition software and has to constantly update himself and be technically sound. It is important to be able to handle various types of audio files and documents.

Lastly, an efficient medical transcriber has a long career path. “One begins as a transcriber but can grow to become an editor or a team manager. But it is difficult to move to another profession after practicing medical transcription”, says Venkat. Candidates typically begin as proofers and later go on to become editors.

The job of a transcriber or editor has definitely been made easy with the advancement in speech recognition technology but it would still take a candidate a minimum of three years to be hired as an editor. One can also climb the ladder to become a team manager, who typically heads a team of medical transcribers. Medical transcription is a lucrative profession. But the pay is titrated according to individual speed and efficiency. After all, what goes into the file of a patient depends on the transcriber behind it.

By:Mythili Sankara