In 2004, it was predicted that medical transcription would keep filling up vacancies. Four years later, the growth in the industry is pegged at 75% (data available from NASSCOM) as more hopefuls are attracted to it. People are switching careers, joining new ones, making parallel income too. With the coming of age of BPOs in India, can medical transcription jobs be far behind?

Those connected to allied medical fields are getting an opportunity to learn and earn, even from home. Eager to tap the potential, many medical transcription correspondence courses are available for candidates. It is niche sector that has continuing to attract new candidates. In Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, New Delhi and Mumbai many service providers have opened shop and are active 24 x 7 to cater to clients in UK, USA, Australia and Europe.

Joining this niche sector is as not as simple as joining a call centre where a few weeks of online training is helpful to start work and earn. Candidates wanting to join medical transcription jobs have to undergo training and hone their skills in the medical field. Even those who have medical knowledge too need training programs. Hence the advent of correspondence courses in this field. Once the candidates are ready for jobs, they get higher pay packets. But one has to be doubly careful before picking up any correspondence courses for medical transcription.

One has to be more than a matriculate to do this course. Some small time companies have already closed shop as students they trained could not cope up with the requirement skills and quality standards of clients. One has to have a very good command over English, have ability to work in different shifts and entry level salary is around Rs. 4000. But hard work always pays well in the end.