Medical Transcriptionist- Career Opportunities and Prospects

Medical transcription as a career option is fast growing in India and abroad. Since the work can be done from home, many homemakers are choosing this as their career in India.

Medical Transcription (MT) is known as the process of transcribing the dictation or voice notes delivered by the doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners for the purpose of keeping documents of the treatment procedures. The medical transcriptionists thus contribute to keep the records of the treatment procedures a patient has undergone. The job of the medical transcriptionist also includes interpreting medical terminology and abbreviations in written form for preparing the treatment documents and discharge summaries etc. 

Skills required to be a Medical Transcriptionist

In-depth knowledge of the medical terminology and good command over English are considered to be the primary skills possessed by a medical transcriptionist. Besides, he/she needs to have excellent comprehension skill. The ability to identify any inaccuracy in the dictation is also an added skill of the transcriptionist. It reduces the chance of false records and wrong treatment.  The vital skills required to be a successful medical transcriptionist are listed below:

Knowledge of medical Terminology	Must possess a thorough knowledge of the medical terms and abbreviations
Command over English	Must be proficient in English
Listening and Comprehension Skill	Ability to listen carefully and comprehend the dictations given by the doctors and others
Ability to work in odd hours	Must have the capacity to work at night shift
Patience and Endurance	Possess immense patience to listen to the voice records carefully
Power of concentration	Ability to concentrate on the topic for hours
Good typing skill	Possess thorough knowledge of computer and must have a good typing speed
Ability to understand American and Australian accents	Must understand the accent and diction of the Americans/ Australians etc.

Eligibility Criteria to be a Medical Transcriptionist

To be a medical transcriptionist one does not need to undertake years of training or pursuing a specific degree like any other profession. A graduate of any discipline from any recognised university may join the certificate course specified for becoming a medical transcriptionist. But the candidate must have some basic knowledge of Computer, Life Science, Anatomy, Biology, and Mathematics. While pursuing the certificate course, they acquire fundamental knowledge involved in the job and are trained to develop their listening and comprehension ability. Over the years the demands of the medical transcriptionists are on the rise, hence the trained professionals will have an edge over the others in the field.

Medical Transcription Course Structure and Fees  

In India, several institutes conduct 3-6 months duration certificate course of medical transcription. The curriculum includes lessons on anatomy, medical terminology, and risk management, legal issues relating to healthcare documentation, and English grammar and punctuation. At the end of the course, the students learn how to decode the medical terminology and abbreviations and to write a detailed medical report. The fees for 3-6 months certificate course varies between Rs. 20,000-30,000. Some medical companies provide in-house training to the freshers after they are absorbed by the company. Here is a list of some of the institutions that conduct certificate course in medical transcription:

Serial No	Name of the Institute	Name of the City
1	Academy of Medical Transcription	New Delhi
2	Alliance Commet Ltd	New Delhi
3	American Academy of Medical Transcription	New Delhi
4	Indian Institute of Medical Transcription	New Delhi
5	ITES Medical Transcription Knowledge Centre	New Delhi
6	Nopany Institute of Management Studies	Kolkata
7	Kolkata Film and Television Institute	Kolkata
8	Central Calcutta Polytechnic	Kolkata
9	Medpro America Healthcare Solutions	Mumbai
10	CPC Medical Coding Billing Academy	Mumbai
11	Transdoc	Mumbai
12	Dr Zakir Hussain Institute of Medical Transcription	Meerut
13	Zero Error Med- Transcription (ZEMT)	Noida
14	Ancient Global Solutions Pvt. Ltd.	Chandigarh
15	Armed Forces Medical College	Pune

Job and Career Prospect of Medical Transcriptionist

The job of a medical transcriptionist is technologically challenging but rewarding. This job suits the persons most who look for ‘work from home’ opportunities. With the development and expansion of the scope of medical treatment procedures, the demands of the medical transcriptionists are also increasing. After completing the certificate course the candidate can begin working as a medical transcriptionist in a hospital, private company or pharmaceutical company. He/she may assume the job of ‘information clerk’, ‘interpreter and translator’, and ‘medical assistant’. They may also work as a Freelance Medical Transcriptionists. Again, those who take an interest in teaching may also join the training institutes to train the future transcriptionists.

Salary Drawn by a Medical Transcriptionist

After years of hard effort, a medical transcriptionist reaps the benefits of his profession. Like any other profession, his/her income is also low initially. But, once he/she gains experience in the field, he/she will work as a senior medical transcriptionist and the income increases simultaneously. However, the income of a medical transcriptionist depends upon his/her ability to execute the job accurately. Here is a glimpse into the annual salary drawn by a medical transcriptionist in a tabular form:

Years of Experience	Average Annual Salary
0-1 year	Rs. 1.96 lakhs
1-4 years	Rs. 2.36 lakhs
5-9 years	Rs. 2.96 lakhs
10 years and more	Rs. 3.11 lakhs

It is noted that the location of the transcriptionist also pays an important role in deciding his salary. For ex: a medical transcriptionist in Delhi earns more than his/her counterpart in other states of India.

Pros and Cons of Medical Transcription as a Career

• Pros: the job of a medical transcriptionist involves huge responsibilities. He/she must be very sincere and dedicated to the job. Therefore, the job is challenging and self-gratifying. With the expansion of technology, more and more transcriptionists are required by the health sectors.
• Cons: scientists have developed new ‘speech recognition software’ and ‘electronic health records’ (EHR) software. With the help of the newly developed software, it would be easier to keep records of the treatment procedures. So it is feared that the requirement of the medical transcriptionists will dwindle in the future.

After years of accumulating experience as a medical transcriptionist, a person can work as a secretary or administrative assistant in hospitals.