MT India Digest - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MTID
Moderated MT Discussion List, Since 1999

=======================================
Moderated by: Published by:
Amit Chatterjee, SM MT India
amit@... www.mtindia.org

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May 25, 2003 Digest #104
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....

=============NEW=================

-=MT Week celebration=-

~Subhorup Dasgupta
"the feeling of being a part of a larger cause is perhaps diluted
if not lost by the distance of(f) the shores"

===========CONTINUING============

-=USMTs are pricing themselves out of the market?=-

~Gayla Bryant
"to get it outlawed that India can take American jobs away"

-=Work @ Home MT=-

~Ananth
"HBT rates seem to be stuck in the Rs. 0.95 slot with the eternal
goal of Rs. 1.25 in the distance"

~Delphine Swasbrook
"A person would need to invest a pretty good bit of money on the
"tools of his trade."

~Pranava Krishna VK
"settled in Trivandrum and I would like to take a home
transcription job."

-=Future of the MT industry=-

~Shahul Hameed
"Is it a business for the longer term. Quick money is not my
criteria."

*****************************************************
Are you a lead QA from Bangalore with:

* 4+ years of total MT experience (excluding training period)
* 2+ years as a QA/Proofer, in a reputed company

Excellent opportunities for career enhancement with stable MNCs at
Bangalore

Email Anusha at anusha@...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Subhorup Dasgupta
Subject: MT week at Worldtech

Hi MTIDers!

Worldtech, Hyderabad observed MT week, a time taken out to
recognize the contribution made by the medical transcriptionist,
from May 19 to 24, 2003. It was difficult to get the entire staff
of over 200 to come together in the middle of a production day for
a long stretch, so the programs were kept short and varied so that
everybody could be involved. Short quizzes were arranged every day
of the week with instant cash prizes for the correct answers. The
questions in the quiz, too, were not all limited to medicine or
transcription, since a large number of support staff were also
involved.

For a whole week, we all looked forward to 11.30 when we would all
come on to the main floor and scream and shout like kids for 30
minutes, hopefully win some prizes and go back to work happier and
surely richer. Birthday MTs were felicitated during this time too,
and it was a great feeling to have 200 people sing "happy
birthday!" Other parameters of performance were also recognized
such as newest MTs achieving high productivity levels, MTs handling
largest number of clients, MTs delivering highest volume of desk to
desk services, 100% attendance, etc. Support staff were also
recognized for their contribution.

In India, where medical transcription is more a profession than a
vocation, where the feeling of being a part of a larger cause is
perhaps diluted if not lost by the distance of(f) the shores, it
becomes the responsibility of the MT companies to recognize and
reward the important role played by the medical transcriptionist
beyond the obvious one of commerce.

My pick from the quiz questions, Amit:

Q: The English uses the cheek, the Indian uses the forehead, and
the Italian uses the upper arm. In medical terminology, what are
we referring to?

Answer: A nose job or rhinoplasty. The three places that skin
flaps are typically taken from give the names to the distinct types
of rhinoplasty.

Subhorup Dasgupta
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=MT_Week

[MODERATOR COMMENT]

Hi Subho!

Nice to have you share how you celebrated the "MT Week 2003." Hope
other MTs & MT Companies also come forward to share on what they
did and what they have planned ahead.

I have some strong personal opinions, as usual - on the concept of
the "World MT Week." However this digest is already too large to
take anything more of my ramblings...

See you all, next time around...

Regards,

Amit
amit@...
http://www.mtindia.org/

===========CONTINUING============
From: Gayla Bryant <gbryant@...>
Subject: USMTs

Why do you think you can take United States Jobs? I am trying to do
everything I can to get it outlawed that India can take American
jobs away from American people.

Gayla Bryant
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=USMTs_pricing
++++ new post - different topic ++++

From: Ananth
Subject: Home transcription - Myth or reality?

Hi MTIDers,

I actually am inclined to agree with Stella... the fact of US MTs
spending a lot of further educating themselves is very true... and
they understand the concept that if work is coming in at a lower
price, then it is not worth taking... we are doing the
opposite and grabbing any work that comes at any price.

But i guess just based on the difference in cost of living we would
be running ahead. But no, I do not see Indian MTs even coming
close to being a force to reckon with in the next 10 years.

Unfortunately though, the number of MTs seems to be decreasing at
an alarming rate.. Chennai sees a minimum of about 10 ads on any
given weekend asking for experienced MTs and QAs.. and the fact
that companies in Bangalore, Jaipur, Delhi, you name it, are
advertising on the internet and offering free accomodation for
"deserving candidates" does seem to give us a lot of food for
thought. Going by the current trend, there are not enough
organizations that have an inhouse training program that actually
chooses good people and trains them as we had been. So we are
still running the show with the same number of people we had a year
or two ago, or less. Its just that the MTs have now become
"Editors" and "edit" 1000 lines a day which is more like
re-transcription.

I guess the US MTs don't have to wait for long or worry for long.
I
doubt that HBT or an HMT as Mr. Inamdar prefers to refer to them is
actually going to pose much of a threat to anyone, Indian companies
included. There used to be a time when the prediction was that the
future of MT in India is going to actually be majorly home-based.
But going by the current trend, with companies working for 3.5
cents, "groups of MTs" working for 2.5, and "HMTs" at a little less
than 2 cents, it is doubtful as to which way we will head. The HBT
rates seem to be stuck in the Rs. 0.95 slot with the eternal goal
of Rs. 1.25 in the distance. But even at 1.25 if you do 1000 lines
a day, you will stand to net a max of about 20K, meaning about 12
hours of work for five days a week and 52 weeks a year. How long
is the "HMT" going to do his 1000 lines? I lasted six months. I
now hear of a new concept in which companies offer Rs. 8000 a month
for doing 50 minutes of transcription a day.

I suspect the attrition ratio is evidence enough that HBT is not
going to be here to stay for long.

Ananth

[MODERATOR COMMENT]

Hi Ananth and All!

The term "HBT" has a very specific meaning that you can't change.
Even if you interpret it to mean "Small Office Home Office" (SOHO)
business, everyone else will think & treat you differently.

So what's the difference between the two?

An MT trades a fixed amount of time for a fixed amount of money. If
they want to increase their money, they have to increase the time
they work, or the value of their time. Either way, it's their BOSS
who says yes or no, not them. That applies to the HBT concept as
well.

A SOHO businessman/woman goes into business to sever all connection
between their time and their money. It's the ONLY thing you can
enjoy in business that you can't enjoy in a job.

HBT gives you some tangible advantage, over working at company
location:

1) Allows you to work flexible hours.
2) Allows you to save commuting time and money.
3) Allows you to work from home, hence manage concurrently other
work, not related to company work.
4) Allows you to continue with your job, if you have to relocate
(within the constraints of connectivity available at your new
location).

I'll summarize the disadvantages you brought out - these cannot be
generalized to the HBT concept, but are specific to the company you
are working for as an HBT:

1) You earn less, for the same time put in - or did I reach a wrong
conclusion?

As I understand the HBT is investing in infrastructure & resources,
which if working at company location would have been the employer's
investment. The company should be able to convert this into a
better
payment rate to the HBT.

2) No paid leave. Again that's a company policy - if you grant
leave to onsite MTs, there is no reason to deny leave to
telecommuting employees. On the flip side - the company might be
paying a rate high enough to not offer you this or other perks -
whether inhouse or at company. After all, in the end you are just a
"cost to company" in the annual balance sheet:)

Regards,

Amit
amit@...
http://www.mtindia.org/
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Work@Home
++++ new post - same topic ++++

From: Delphine Swasbrook
Subject: Medical Transcription from Home

Dear Amit & MTIDers!

The most popular idea of transcription is "if you can hear it, you
can type it." Few people seem to realize that English is a complex
language. There are similar sounding words with totally different
meanings both in English and in medicine, hence the over
simplification of just hearing a word and transcribing it could
lead to disastrous results.

Then there is the myth that doctors automatically make better
transcriptionists than nondoctors. Doctors have as much problems
transcribing because they, like the others, are hearing medical
terminology in an accent that is foreign to them. So it would take
a doctor as long as anyone else to recognize a medical word.
English grammar is also another aspect that is not automatically a
gift given to doctors because they are medically qualified.

Another factor that needs to be looked at is the dream of "working
out of your home." A person would need to invest a pretty good bit
of money on the "tools of his trade." He would also need to update
his database and referencing material. He would also need to
convince the US client that he is sufficiently trained and
efficient. Downloading voice files takes a couple of hours and
reduces the TAT. This limits the amount of work a person can take
in - in some cases making it economically unviable. Sufficient
thought should be given to these aspects before an MT can set up a
workstation at home.

Delphine
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Work@Home
++++ new post - same topic ++++

From: Pranava Krishna VK<pranav_ks2@...>
Subject: Home MT

Hello,

I have been working as a medical transcriptionist for the past
2-1/2 years in a Coimbatore based company. I like to know about
the companies providing home transcription facilities in India and
aboard. Now I am settled in Trivandrum and I would like to do a
home transcription job.

Kindly please inform me if there is any oppurtunity for me to
continue my medical transcription profession.

Pranava Krishna VK
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Work@Home
++++ new post - different topic ++++

From: Shahul Hameed <shahulhameeds@...>
Subject: The Future of MT outsourcing

Dear. Dr. Chatterjee & MTIDers,

I plan to setup a MT business, but would like clarification on the
future of MT outsourcing to India- given the protests in USA for
outsourcing to India and also the advent of many speech recognition
softwares in the market. Is it a business for the longer term.
Quick money is not my criteria.

Shahul Hameed
Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com?Subject=Future_of_MT
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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