New Feature: the VLC talks with working grads

VLC: What did you do before becoming a medical transcriptionist?
Paul: Well, I was retired. I was a full-time dad and a retired executive.

VLC: Why did you decide to become involved in medical transcription?
Paul: I was too young to be retired! My son was getting old enough that he didn't need my full-time attention. He's almost nine.

VLC: In what business were you an executive?
Paul: I was in a totally unrelated field: business intelligence services, online to corporations in North America and overseas.

VLC: Which of our MT courses did you take?
Paul: I took what was at that time called the Professional Plus course.

VLC: How long did it take you to complete that?
Paul: It took me about six months, but I didn't really push my self. I could have completed it more quickly, but frankly speed isn't everything when you're learning.

VLC: Who was your instructor at that time?
Paul: It was Carole, and Sheila was involved. Primarily Carole. She was my principle mentor and guide.

VLC: What impressed you most about the instructor and the course?
Paul: Well, a couple of things. I did some due diligence beforehand and felt that for the fee, which was not inconsiderable, the amount of material offered was fairly generous, and the curriculum looked fairly extensive.

Once I got into the course, I found that the instructor attention… was very high. The turn around in terms of grading the exercises was extremely fast, even very late at night. It seemed like they were always available, and that's important when you're learning this particular profession.

VLC: What did you enjoy most about the course?
Paul: Without a doubt, the transcription. I think that's one of the strengths of the course. You were advertising 5000 minutes of transcription practice, and it was difficult transcription for the most part. As bad as students think that is, it doesn't compare to what I've been doing for the last six month, but it's very good preparation.

VLC: How did you go about finding employment?
Paul: I hunted online and took suggestions from people I'd met in the course. I got hired by SoftScript in May of 2003.

VLC: What advice do you have for people who hope to become medical transcriptionists?
Paul: I think, number one, you need to pick the right course, and you need to pick one that has a heavy emphasis on practical transcription. The more you do before you get out on your own, the better you'll be. One other thing: People need not to be unrealistic in their expectations, especially starting out.

They're looking for good workers, but they want you to prove yourself. They're not going to pay you a fantastic rate. No matter what, it's a tough business. I've been doing ESL (English second language) dictation, and it's brutal - it's challenging, and it's very difficult, but the work is great if you have an interest in healthcare at all. I thoroughly enjoy working with surgeons and getting involved in that end of healthcare delivery.

VLC: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Paul: Probably- if I had a crystal ball - my game plan is to get into medical practice management. But that also plays on my experience which not everyone coming into MT has. Management is one thing I definitely want to get into, whether it's running my own company or working for someone else.