Medical transcription is the process of accurately converting a doctor’s voice recorded report into a readable format. These reports include clinic notes, consultation notes, discharge summaries, evaluations, lab reports, x-ray reports, pathology reports, etc. With the boom of outsourcing, medical transcription became one of the fasters growing areas in the medical field.

Qualifying Exam

There are many institutions that provide certified courses for Medical transcription. The duration of the course is mostly 6 months.  Admission for the course is on the basis of written test followed by an interview.

The first thing to understand is that medical transcriptionist is not just data entry operators. There are a set of skills that an aspirant requires. The most important of them are

• Typing speed and basic computer knowledge
• Proficiency in the English language
• Good listening and writing skills
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology

Eligibility Criteria

A degree holder in any discipline with good communication skills can become a medical transcriptionist. The course assists you in acquiring the required skills and developing the existing ones. There are practice sessions wherein the student listens to tapes of American accent. This is an important part of the curriculum since most of the work of a medical transcriptionist is outsourced.

Some of the best institutes are Academy Of Medical Transcription New Delhi, Bajaj Institute of Information Technology (BIIT) New Delhi, Indian Institute of Medical Transcription (IIMT New Delhi, MT Training Institute Bangalore, Maiden Info-tech Limited Chennai, etc. There are many online courses also available. When selecting a course, it is important to check if it is AHDI approved. Most foreign companies prefer appointing people who have done AHDI approved courses in medical transcription.

Medical transcriptionist is initially appointed as on job trainees. Promotion and salary depends on the quality of work and determination to succeed. Some of the top companies in India are Total-med Medical Transcription Company, Accu-Doc InfoTech Private Limited, Chrysalis Technologies and Eye red Transcription Services. There are medical transcriptionists who work from home. This becomes a good source of income for housewives, students, retired personnel, etc.

How to prepare for exam and interview?

The candidates will first be required to clear a written test. This test will consist of aptitude test, questions related to American English grammar, comprehension and an essay. This shall be followed by an audio test where the candidates will be required to write out an audio based speech or conversation. The speech will be in American accent. The last will be a personal interview.