Please read the transcript of the interview we had with Sebi Thomas, Director, Lloyds Solutions, Inc.

Neema Kurien: I would like to know what the job prospects in India for medical transcription are.

Sebi Thomas: Neema, Medical Transcription was a growing industry so far, but not any more. To start a career at this point of time in Medical Transcription is not advisable. This is because of the technology advancement happened in the industry recently

Ramnarain: As a graduate who is looking for jobs, how can I qualify myself to take up medical transcription as my profession?

Sebi Thomas: There are plenty of institutes in each City which provide you training in Medical Transcription. If you are good in English you can join any institute and take up the training.

Sheila: What are the areas that will be covered during the training on medical transcription?

Sebi Thomas: English Language, Anatomy, Medical Terminology, Pharmacology, Typing and of course listening to the voice files dictated by the doctors

Prasad: I am from a poor family. What will be the cost of the training program for medical transcription?

Sebi Thomas: Cost of training varies from Institute to Institute and location. In Bangalore it is around Rs 30,000 for a six month course

Neema Kurien: I have got an experience of 2 years as a Medical transcriptionist. What are the prerequisites I need to do medical transcription from home?

Sebi Thomas: It depends upon how well you can transcribe the files. In an office environment, if you require any clarifications or if you have any doubts there are people readily available around you to help you out where as in a home environment you are all alone

Ramnarain: I would like to know if the recession in USA has affected the market potential of medical transcription in India

Sebi Thomas: Not at all. Recession did not have any effects on the healthcare industry. Whether it is recession or sunshine, if you have to fall sick, you will fall sick. So, recession did not affect the MT industry in India. Of course, there were some side effects of recession which you cannot avoid as a part of the economic cycle

Prasad: What will be the approximate salary that can be expected by a beginner and the one with about a couple of years’ experience?

Sebi Thomas: Salary depends upon the accuracy you are providing. For a beginner it will be between Rs 5000 to 10,000 where as for a person with a couple of years’ experience it would be around Rs 20,000. But again, this depends upon your accuracy and quantity of lines you produce

Sheila: Does the profession offer career growth? If yes, to which levels?

Sebi Thomas: For a beginner there is no career growth in medical transcription any more. This is because Transcription will be taken over by automated software called Electronic Medical Records. By 2014 medical transcription will be very limited and majority of the work will be performed on the EMR

Prasad: Which are the other countries that compete with the Indian workers in this profession?

Sebi Thomas: Philippines is the major competitor. Sri Lanka is also emerging.

Neema Kurien: I am a B.Com graduate. I would like to take up medical transcription as my career. Is a qualification in Science absolutely essential to take up this profession?

Sebi Thomas: Not at all. You have to undergo the basic Medical Transcription training. There you will be taught how to do transcription and about Medical Terminologies and Pharmacology. If you have very good listening skills, and you are able to understand American accent, it should be enough to get qualified.

Sheila: I am curious to know if the Indian hospitals outsource such transcription jobs to companies in India.

Sebi Thomas: In India medical transcription is still in a nascent stage. So it will take many years for India to catch up with the USA standards. I am not aware of any Indian hospitals outsourcing to Indian companies though some very big hospitals in India are having Medical Transcription

Ramnarain: What are the legal implications in this profession since the services are usually provided to US based hospitals?

Sebi Thomas: All the service providers as well as transcriptionists are bound by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). All the patient information should be kept confidential and you are not supposed to copy or save the data to the local computer, save it on any external devices like pen drives, CDs etc. Violation of these would be serious breach of security which can affect the whole outsourcing business to India

Sheila: What is the minimum speed required for typing in this career?

Sebi Thomas: 35 words per minute should work fine. But if you have a good typing speed, your productivity will be more and you can earn more money

Neema Kurien: Is this course considered a professional training or a vocational course?

Sebi Thomas: It is vocational training. For professional training you need to obtain Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) certificate

Neema Kurien: How tough is he American accent? Is it very difficult to follow?

Sebi Thomas: This is a very subjective question. If you can understand Hollywood movies, then you should be able to understand the dictation by the doctors. It is not very difficult to follow. Again it depends upon your listening skills

Ramnarain: Can you suggest some good companies that provide MT training in Bangalore?

Sebi Thomas: NEXT is a good training institute. They will give you placement after you complete your training

Sheila: You have said that it is no longer advisable to take up MT as profession. Are the existing transcriptionists facing any problem?

Sebi Thomas: Not currently. But medical transcription is a dying industry. You can survive in this profession till 2014. After that it would be very difficult as EMR will take over medical transcription

Prasad: Are there Medical transcription companies in India that run good business even now?

Sebi Thomas: Definitely yes, otherwise there wouldn’t be so much companies advertising for MTs daily on newspapers

Sheila: How are home transcription works sent?

Sebi Thomas: Transcription is usually done on software. So you will be given user name and password to access the software. The jobs sit on the software, you need to listen and type it out on the software itself and post it to the QA or directly to the client on the software itself. This is how standard companies do the work

Sheila: What are the equipments needed for home transcription?

Sebi Thomas: Computer, foot pedal, headphone, internet connection and the necessary software

Ramnarain: Is there any age limit for taking up this profession

Sebi Thomas: Not at all, we have people who are above 60 working for us.

Neema Kurien: What is the level of accuracy needed?

Sebi Thomas: 98.5% is the minimum accuracy required. However, you need to strive for 100% accuracy itself as you cannot misspell a drug or commit any mistake because it would affect the patient’s health.

Please read the transcript of the interview we had with Mr. N.S.Uppal of Pearl Academy of Fashions, New Delhi.

Jamuna: How lucrative is the profession of a fashion designer?

Uppal: The profession is an upcoming one already very popular in the metropolitan cities. There is good earning potential, up to Rs. 50,000 per month at beginning.

Salman: What would be your suggestions for a fashion designer who wants to start his own business?

Uppal: It is much better to get a short experience of two years to learn the ropes before starting your own venture

Arvind: Is fashion designing restricted to apparels only? What are the other categories that can be created by a fashion designer?

Uppal: You can also attempt Communication design, Architectural design, interior design and Industrial design if you have engineering qualifications!

Shyam: What usually are the parameters a company sets for hiring a fashion designer?

Uppal: They look for originality of ideas contemporary to cultural values of the society as well as important influences of the environment.

Arvind:  What are the basic things about the industry that a fashion designer must bear in mind?

Uppal: He must base the design on current trends and fashion forecasts as envisaged by renowned experts

Arvind: What are the job prospects of the students once they complete the course?

Uppal: There are good prospects to work with a design house, an eminent designer or work for a well known brand.

Shyam: Is the fee for the course very high?

Uppal: The fee is about Rs. 2 lakhs per year depending on location

Salman: What are the major qualities that should be found in a fashion designer?

Uppal: We look for creativity, innovation, fresh ideas and reflection in the prospective designer

Jamuna:  Are the graduates of fashion designing from India preferred in other countries?

Uppal: Well, at present, very few have ventured out like Sabhyasachi but the future looks promising

Priya: What are the industries that have job offers for the graduates of fashion designing?

Uppal:  Already answered above

Sebithomas: Can anyone become a fashion designer or you need to have a good imagination and creativity to be a successful fashion designer?

Uppal: You need to possess basic imagination, original ideas and creativity.

Arvind: What are the types of courses in fashion designing that are available to the students now?

Uppal: Fashion design, Interior Design, Fashion Design Indian Wear, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Marketing etc.

Shyam: What is the duration of the courses?

Uppal: All undergraduate courses run for 4 years and Post Graduate Courses for two years.

Salman: In what way is the course offered in India different from the one that is offered in other countries?

Uppal: The content and context are different slightly according to Indian customs and traditions.

Priya: What will be the criteria for the students to apply for the courses?

Uppal: We accept 10 + 2 for undergraduate courses and Graduation degree in any discipline for PG courses

Shyam: How do they assess the imaginary skills of the candidate?

Uppal: We have incomplete picture Tests, Thematic Apperception tests etc.

Jamuna: What will the students learn from the courses?

Uppal: The learning outcomes include designing complete ensembles, sourcing of fabrics, trims and embellishments and stitching skills.

Shyam:  Are educational loans available in the banks for this course?

Uppal: Yes, the loans are available through Nationalized Banks

Jamuna: Is modeling covered under fashion designing?

Uppal: No, It is not included. However it is taught under Fashion styling and image design course.

Salman: Can you suggest to me a few recognized institutes that focus on fashion designing?

Uppal: I can suggest NIFT, Pearl and NID

Jamuna: How should a resume of a fashion designer look like? What should it contain?

Uppal: It should contain all usual entries including your Mood books, design books and ensemble collection

Jamuna: Do you give preference to physically challenged candidates, like those who cannot walk?

Uppal: There is no exclusion.