Work as a Medical Transcriptionist

Medical transcription involves listening to taped reports from doctors and medical practitioners and converting them to a written format, usually in MS Word. In the country, we have few medical transcription companies which, unless you dedicate yourself in finding some in the web, are relatively hard to find. There are also several online, but since we live in the Philippines and these online companies are usually based in US, Canada, UK or India, it is hard to apply to one. But if you get lucky, these companies pay big on a per hour basis.

For a beginner, I would suggest looking for a subcontractual work for a small local company first and learn from there. You can usually find several job offerings in the net for a home-based medical transcriptionist where the company is only based in the Philippines. Try looking in www.bestjob.ph, or www.sulit.com.ph. Don't expect much salary at first because a good training and experience is required by those big companies abroad. A good 3-6 months could be enough to sharpen up your skills.

Then begin applying in the major arena. I would like to forewarn you, though, that there are hundreds, or maybe thousands, of offerings out there whose only purpose is to collect upfront payment and eventually scam you. A legitimate transcription company does not ask for payment from you to work for them but instead evaluate your potential and even provide good training before giving you work.

Be ready to undergo typing speed and accuracy tests. These are usually done on an automated program that actually counts your word per minute (wpm) and accuracy. So practice first before undergoing the test because you might lose your only chance. Kudos if you get accepted because that translate to an income of USD$30-40 per audio hour. If you can finish at least two audio hours per day, that is roughly PHP2,500 to 3,400 per day. Not bad. An audio hour is usually completed in 2-3 hours.

Aside from high income potential, some other reasons why you might want to start in medical transcription include:

1. You are able to work from home.
2. You can have a flexible work schedule, and work as much as you want.
3. You have the potential to create long-term relationships with your clients.
4. You get to put your organizational, detail-oriented qualities to work for you every day.
5. The more experienced you become, the quicker you will be able work and the more you can make.

But let me also enlighten you of the potential challenges you might face before getting into a medical transcription work so you could prepare yourself prior to applying to one.

1. Companies require one to be a certified medical transcriptionist. This means that you should have completed a finishing course on medical transcription. Search the net for any online MT course. Compare and try any of these two online MT courses: Online MT Course or Be a Certified Medical Transcriptionist. The whole course will cost you less than PHP20,000 and they give full online support. Usually, they are also the ones who lead you to employers or they hire you themselves. But if you graduated with any medical course and you type fast, you will do. Experience is also a big factor. Remember, there is a big demand for this job.
2. You need a broad understanding of basic medical terms and jargon.
3. You must be a proficient typist, at least 50 words per minute, with good grammar and research skills. You can practice touch typing online at www.typeonline.co.uk/typingspeed.php or www.typingtest.com.
4. You need to meet deadlines and follow formatting requirements. You will be instructed what format to follow. This is easy, you only need to properly follow directions.
5. You need equipments, including a computer, foot pedal, transcriber software, reference books and an internet connection. Download the transcription playback software called Express Scribe from www.nch.com.au/scribe/index.html.
6. The work requires strict compliance with patient confidentiality requirements.
7. It's all computer work, which can put a strain on your eyes, wrists and back.

Post script: The links mentioned here are not for endorsement purposes but only for your reference.