The medical transcription field is picking up again after gong through a boom -and -bust phase in the past few years. A look at the scene now

There are plenty of job opportunities in this field. The pay is commensurate with the output. It can be done as a part time job, and there is the option to work from home. And its nuances can be learnt in a few months .All these combine to make medical transcription an alluring option for G- next

As one of India's fastest growing information Technology enabled services (ITES), it has the potential to change the outlook towards the health sector. Like call centres, insurance claims processing and legal transcription, medical transcription is also an emerging field born out of the fusion of globalisation and 24/7 economy

English fluency

Fluency in English, logical reasoning and comprehension skills will help one pick up half spoken fragments or even monosyllables and convert them in to complete sensible sentences and make a successful medical transcriptionist.

Despite the trained manpower that India boasts of, there is shortage of people with the requisite skills in the field of medical transcription. This despite the fact that medical transcription made its foray in to India in 1993

Shortage of hands

Quoting figures from the American Association of Medical Transcription (AAMT) Jose Maannully of EDS Solutions, a medical transcription firm at Kadavanthara in Ernakulam, says that there is a shortage of one-lakh medical transcription personnel in the US.

"The work out sourced amounts to just 4 to 5 % of the total volume. In India, there is shortage of 50,000 trained people. The available manpower is 12,000 he says

This shows that there is a tremendous potential in the field and that the sky is the limit for job aspirants in India. Unless we grab the golden opportunity, Filipinos, Vietnamese and those from other developing countries will dominate the sector. Sadly the minimum level of learning (MLL) of youths who study in Kerala is very low. Worse still is their knowledge of written English and basic grammar. Ninety five percent of those who clear the test and interview are those who have studied outside the state. Short term or online courses in English may help those who prepare for jobs in call centres but not in medical transcription firms, Jose says

Anoop S.R of wave Online, Vyttila says it is difficult to teach a person to gain fluency in English. The medical part of the job can be taught

The demand for medical transcription services is increasing because of the rise in health insurance claims in the US he says

Complaints in the US and in Europe began to outsource medical transcription because of the high cost of operations there. Medical transcriptionists feed in to the computer the medical history of patients dictated by health specialists in foreign countries and create a file. This is to enable insurance companies there to make payments

Hierarchy

The hierarchy in most medical transcription firms is as follows: Transcriptionist (who attends the client and enters details in the computer), editor (who goes through the copy), Proof reader (who revises the copy) analyst and production manager

The incentives depend on the number of lines (one line=65 letters) that one types out. The starting salary for a trained medical transcriptionist in Cochin is around 5000/-. It can go up to 30,000/- or even more, depending on the quantity and quality of work. Emergency files are returned within 8 hours and medical transcription firms charge a higher fee for this.

Part time job

The medical transcriptionist job can also be done part time.
The basic thing is that one should be fluent in English. And it would be ideal if I one has basic knowledge of MS office and MS word and have a background in science. Knowledge of American usages helps. People are attracted to this job because after a few months they can do it from home.

Advantage India

India has a time-zone advantage too- it is morning here when it is evening in the United States. Doctors there need to just read out details of their patients at the end of the day.
Fast connectivity to Internet is another advantage, thanks to submarine cables entering the country through Kochi and Mumbai

Attrition rates are quiet high in this field since a person with a few years experience commands a high salary in metropolitan cities. Many firms offer free food coupons, incentives and pick up and drop back facility to retain their employees

A NORKA INITIATIVE

The department of non resident Indians (norka) in association with the Cochin based school of communication and management studies has established the Norka-SCMS Institute of Paramedical and Development Studies to help those going abroad in search of jobs. An overview of the institute and it's courses

The department of Non- Resident Indians (Norka) in association with the Cochin based school of communication and management studies (SCMS) group of Educational Institutions is making an attempt to offer professional training to Keralites who plan to go abroad in search of lucrative jobs especially in the paramedical sector.

The Norka-Scms institute of paramedical and development studies (NSIPADS), inaugurated on March 5 by the Union Minister for Non Resident affairs, Jagdish Tytler, will be engaged in the mission of providing quality training to those looking for a prospective career in foreign countries

The institute has come up on the new campus of the SCMS in Cochin

The NSIPADS is one of the 350 projects being taken up by the government under the Kerala fast forward Scheme. The institute will offer training to candidates appearing for various tests such as CGFNS, IELTS, NCLEX, TOEFL, GRE and GMAT. The government decision to launch an institute came in the wake of it's finding that there was no system for quality check in the training offered by many institutes in the private sector

Aim

NORKA-SCMS institute was established primarily to train people for nursing and other paramedical jobs, as this is one of the major areas where lot of exploitation is taking place. However, in due course the institute has plans to provide to other job seekers like skilled and unskilled workers, housemaids and drivers

Nurses from India have immense employment opportunities in Europe, United States,and Japan.However,many do not have enough communication skills says Jiji Thomson principal secretary Norka. Besides imparing basic training for job aspirants , the institute will provide computer literacy and improve theoir communication skills

The institute has plans to offer elementary knowledge of communication skills and accepted pattern of behaviour in foreign countries including awareness on the rights of expatriats in foreign countries

Demand for Nurses

Norka has found that there is a tremendous job potential for qualified nurses and other paramedical personnel in the U.S and other nations in view of increasing reluctance of locals to take up jobs in parameical sectr. According to estimates the Us requires at least 1,64,000 nurses in 2005.. It is 30,000 in Germany; 27,000 in Europe and U.K 28,000 in Australia and 20,000 in the gulf region. The demand has been increasing every year with the growth of health care services globally

Manpower export

Manpower export is very much par of the job of the institute. But it may take some more time for us to ofeer this service, says G.P.C Nayar, chairman of the SCMS goup of educational institutions. The new institute will provide all help and assistance to it's students in their effort to seek jobs in other countries, he adds

Programme profiles

IELTS: Effective training will be offered to candidates for IELTS between 8am to 7pm from Monday to Saturday. Regular programme includes 240 hours of intensive class/ lamnguge job training and group discussions. Repeated tests will ensure better score in the examination. Video/audio facilities are provided in the class room. Experienced teachers will take classes for this programme. The duration of the programme is 30 daays( 240 hours)

CGFNS: The institute will assist Indian Nurses wth important tips and information about CGFNS certification programme. Computer based training will be offered to the candidates. Experienced professors and doctors will extent theirservices to the institute . Frequent model tests will b onducted . A question bank system will be introduced for the welfare of the candidates . The duration of the programme will be 45 days (300 hours)

NCLEX-RN ( Nationsal Council Licensure Examination):

The course is conducted as per the official NCLEX-RN test plan. Learning modules will be discussed. The interactive review course will be offered to the candidates. Instructional technology wll be effectively handled.Regular test and review will be conducted

Admission procedure

Aplication for admission to Ielts and Cgfns can be had from the Admission officer Norka-SCMS institute on payment of Rs.100 in person or on payment by demand draft for Rs. 125 infavour of Norka -SCMS institute payable at any bank at Ernakulam

Eligibility

For IELTS , good knowledge of English is required. A degree or diploma in Nursing is required for candidates applying to the CGFNS programme. Maximum strength in one batch has been fixed at 30 for each course

Course fee

A candidate should pay Rs. 5000/- towards course fee for IELTS and Rs. 7,500/- towards CGFNS.Hostel facilities will be provided to the candidates if available.Payment for the facility has to be made separately. Classes for the first bath will begin on April 4.For more details contact: The admissions officer,Norka-scms nstitute South Kalamassery, Cochin,682033,phone 0484-2558502,2556315

Courtesy- The Hindu