Medical Transcription

BSc Medical Transcription is an undergraduate programme that lets you be a part of the healthcare sector once you graduate. It is a three month to one year degree course that includes converting voice-recorded dictations sent by healthcare workers. This helps in recording and archiving the medical records of a patient into printed or electronic format. This in turn is responsible for the creation of documents that portray and keep a record of the treatment history of the patient, helping in the advancement of the medical sector to a great extent. 

The BSc Medical Transcription degree is designed in such a way that by the end students become adept at the different ways of recording and extracting all the detailed information from the voice-recorded dictations sent by medical professionals. Recording and archiving information in printed or electronic form is the major function of all candidates who study medical transcription. Aspiring candidates who wish to stay in the medical sector can pursue a career in BSc Medical Transcription. To do so, they must have passed their 10+2 in the Science stream with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics as preferred subjects. 

Admissions to the top colleges and universities that offer BSc Medical Transcription courses are conducted mainly through a merit-based procedure. Students who wish to go for further studies in this sector can go for MSc, MPhil, PhD in this field. If you are concerned about the job opportunities that a BSc Medical Transcription three-month to year-long programme offers, then you need not be worried. 

BSc Medical Transcription provides a stable career and ample job opportunities as a medical transcriptionist in several medical sectors such as pharmacies, pharmaceutical firms, hospitals, medical laboratories and so on. Read on to find out all the pertinent details about the BSc Medical Transcription programme including its benefits, colleges offering the course, syllabus, admission process, entrance exam and so on. The average salary for a fresher can range from anywhere between INR 2,80,000 to INR 7,50,000. Some of the common profiles are medical transcriptionists and health informationists. 

The following is a list of the highlights when it comes to a BSc Medical Transcription Course. This three-month to year long programme is one of the most upcoming and in-demand courses for young enthusiasts looking to help doctors and medical institutions closely. It is also a fantastic opportunity to build a stable and interesting career in the healthcare industry. 

The table below illustrates the highlights involved in a BSc Medical Transcription course -

Knowing when to start preparing for a BSc Medical Transcription course is the primary step towards reaching your goal of bagging a stable and well-paid job in the healthcare sector. This will enable all aspiring candidates to get admission to the top-rated colleges and universities offering the course and consequently, to get a good job in a pharmaceutical company, reputed hospital or nursing home where both the salary and the work environment will be holistic and good for further career development. 

The following offers an idea as to when one must start with their preparation to bag admission in BSc Medical Transcription: 

• Candidates can take admission in BSc Transcription courses after qualifying their 10+2 or 12th standard examination from the Science stream (with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics).
• Candidates can also pursue a BSc Transcription course if they have completed a valid diploma course in the same or related field.

Candidates must know why they should even go for a BSc Medical Transcription course when there are other programmes available in the healthcare sector. The following reasons mentioned below will provide a clear indication of why you should choose a course that deals with Medical Transcription:

• Candidates who are interested in working in the healthcare sector or the medical industry but do not want to deal with the requirements it takes to become a doctor or a nurse;
• Candidates who want to pursue a career in the medical transcription department of a hospital, nursing home or pharmaceutical company, working on creating medical records of patient history and so on;
• Candidates who have interest in archiving and recording medical histories by listening to voice recordings sent by doctors can consider a BSc Medical Transcription as a viable programme; 

Candidates who might someday want to pursue a career as a medical assistant in the healthcare industry where recording and archiving patient data has high importance;

There are several reasons for candidates to choose a career in Medical Transcription. To get ahead in that career, candidates should definitely opt for a BSc Medical Transcription course. The following points mention in clear detail all the benefits of choosing a BSc Medical Transcription course: 

• The medical transcription sector is one of the fastest growing areas in the world of healthcare. There are a ton of jobs available in the medical sector as a medical transcriptionist or a medical assistant. Moreover, these jobs are stable and pay well;
• India has a very limited number of medical transcriptionists or medical assistants. This is mainly because this is a new discipline in the healthcare sector. For a country of around 136.6 crore people, the number is very low. Therefore, an influx of candidates who have completed their BSc Medical Transcription course will be needed to fill the gap otherwise a shortage will arise in the next 5 years. Thus, there are plenty of stable jobs available in the Medical Transcription sector; 
• It is expected that there will be a tremendous increase in the medical transcription sector by the year 2026. With government schemes and new technologies trickling in from abroad, the Medical Transcription industry in India is expected to absorb more and more new talent in the coming years;
• Another benefit of pursuing a BSc Medical Transcription is that the BSc Medical Transcription Course is significantly easier and more interesting to study. Additionally, you will be able to choose your own working hours and can build a career through freelancing as well; 
• Another great benefit candidates can get if they pursue a BSc Medical Transcription Course is that aspirants can choose where to work. As a medical worker whose job description entails recording and archiving patient history data from voice recordings sent by doctors, the work can be done from home, the local coffee shop and even in an office inside a hospital, as you wish;
• The salary of a medical transcriptionist is also to be proud of - around 4 lakhs per annum for beginners and then more for those with some years of experience. You can also get freelance work from clients on the side, therefore increasing the amount you earn significantly;
• Another interesting benefit includes the fixed working hours when it comes to pursuing a career in BSc Medical Transcription. You do not have to be engaged all day, every day. Hospitals usually hire medical assistants in their department for 6 days a week and a maximum of 10 hours a day. On the other hand, a medical assistant always has to be on the alert since they have the files and patient data that can be required by a doctor at any time of the day. The salary is handsome enough to cover it; 
• Being a medical assistant or medical transcriptionist gives you the respect you deserve and enables you to keep a track of different medical conditions and patient history so that the doctor can then treat them as soon as possible, therefore saving the patient’s life in the process;

Candidates must have a clear idea about the eligibility criteria for BSc Medical Transcription Course before they apply to any institution and plan to build a career in this field. The eligibility criteria for BSc Medical Transcription are as follows: 

• Candidates must have cleared their 10+2 or 12th grade examinations from a recognised board of education and from a registered institution with Science as their mandatory stream in order to qualify for a BSc Medical Transcription Course;
• Candidates must have secured a minimum aggregate of 50 per cent or above in order to qualify for BSc Medical Transcription, with the compulsory subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English;

BSc in Medical Transcription admissions are undertaken in a way similar to other paramedical or undergraduate degree courses. This means that to get admission in a BSc Medical Transcription Course, the admission process is of only one type. This includes the merit-based admission process in which universities admit candidates to the BSc Medical Transcription programme via the marks they secured in their 10+2 from a recognised board and institution.

BSc Medical Transcription Course Merit-Based Admission 

The following are some of the pertinent points required for admission in BSc Medical Transcription based only on merit:

• There are several universities that take admission in their BSc Medical Transcription courses based on merit;
• The candidates who want to study in such BSc Medical Transcription Colleges must fill out the application form that will be released by most colleges during the months of May and June. However, things might get delayed this year due to the COVID-19 crisis that has shaken the entire world;
• The BSc Medical Transcription Colleges will then release their cutoff marks and merit list subsequently once they go through all the admission forms that have been submitted. After checking all of these important details, candidates are eligible to take admission to the respective colleges;
• The last step is to book your seat by paying the admission fee as mentioned by the institute and confirm your admission in the BSc Medical Transcription course;

There is expected to be a boom in the healthcare industry over the next couple of years. More and more medical transcriptionists and medical assistants will be needed in India by 2023, enabling lots of aspirants to get stable jobs in the Medical Transcription industry. This will propel many students interested in the medical and paramedical stream to seek admission to the top BSc in Medical Transcription colleges in India. Looking at the popularity of the BSc Medical Transcription programmes, the courses are offered by different colleges as Full-Time programmes as well as in the Online and Distance Mode. 

BSc Medical Transcription - Full-Time Course 

The following are the criteria for admission in the full-time course of BSc Medical Transcription that all candidates need to go through before applying:

• BSc full-time courses are available for all those candidates who have secured 50% in their 10+2 or 12th grade from a recognised institution and board of education;
• The duration of the full-time course is 3 months to 1 year;
• Most of the admissions take place via merit-based rank list;
• The course fee ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 60,000;

BSc Medical Transcription - Online Course 

GIven below are some important details for admission to the online course of BSc Medical Transcription that interested candidates must know before applying:

• There are a host of different educational websites that offer online BSc Medical Transcription courses. These include Udemy, Kelearn and many more;
• Usually, an online BSc Medical Transcription Course has a duration of a few hours to 3 months, depending on the kind of information you want to absorb, varying between the fresher course and the advanced course;
• There are a few self-paced courses available as well;
• The fees for BSc Medical Transcription online courses range from INR 500 to INR 10,000;
• Online courses usually do not get the credit they deserve even today. It is always beneficial to take a look at all the fine details of the course offered before joining it;

BSc in Medical Transcription - Distance Course 

Here are a few important points about admission to the distance or distant learning courses of BSc in Medical Transcription that all candidates need to go through before applying:

• There are many different educational institutions that offer BSc in Medical Transcription courses in a distance learning mode. These include Global Institute of Health Science (GIHS), IMTS and more;
• Usually, an online BSc Medical Transcription Course has a duration of up to 1 year, depending on the kind of knowledge you want to gain;
• Some self-paced courses are also provided for interested applicants;
• The fees for BSc Medical Transcription courses done through distance education is usually between INR 10,000 to INR 36,000;
• Candidates must be aware of all the relevant details about the course since distance courses are not valued on a similar level as full-time courses of B.Sc in Medical Transcription;

There are many courses that you can consider other than BSc in Medical Transcription. These include BSc Medical Coding and more. The eligibility criteria for these programmes are quite similar to the eligibility for BSc Medical Transcription. Candidates who are interested can choose a course by looking at their field of interest, fee structure, course details, syllabus and so on. 

BSc Medical Transcription vs BSc Medical Coding 

BSc in Medical Transcription and BSc in Medical Coding are both 3 months to year-long courses which deal with recording and archiving of medical data and history in order to keep track of patient history and help in the faster diagnosis of ailments. 

There are, however, certain key differences between the two fields. BSc in Medical Transcription ensures that you get proper training in the ways to record and archive the voice recordings of patient history sent by medical practitioners, especially doctors. This field of study does not require detailed knowledge of particular specialisations and the risks involved are minimal at large. 

BSc Medical Coding, on the other hand, is not only concerned with the recording and archiving of patient data but also deals with the transformation of healthcare diagnosis, services, medical equipment and more into universally accepted medical alphanumeric codes. Therefore, candidates who study BSc in Medical Coding are highly skilled individuals who have all the specific medical billing and coding knowledge. This field of study requires candidates to possess certain required skills and is at large, a bit riskier. 

Recent developments in the world of medical summarization and medical assistance have opened up a wide space for more and more recruitments. This has encouraged several students from all over India to opt for the undergraduate BSc degree in Medical Transcription and its allied fields. Several BSc Medical Transcription Courses have been included in the curriculum of colleges all over the country, from states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, New Delhi, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and so on. With an evolving medical sector, BSc Medical Transcription has emerged to be a top contender in the education and job market. All the BSc Medical Transcription Colleges available in the following lists have been added after careful consideration of the reviews provided. 

The following are some of the best BSc Medical Transcription Colleges in India where candidates can take admission in BSc Medical Transcription: 

• Garware Institute of Career Education and Development (GICED)
• Parul University, Gujarat 
• Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai
• Tagore Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre (TIMS)
• Academy of Medical Transcription, New Delhi 

The metropolitan cities of India have a host of the best BSc in Medical Transcription Colleges for all aspiring candidates. When it comes to studying BSc Medical Transcription and completing the BSc in Medical Transcription Course fruitfully, it is not just the fees that matters. The distance of the college from a candidate’s home is an important factor in this process. Since many BSc Medical Transcription aspirants do not want to travel outside their home state in search of one of the good BSc Medical Transcription Colleges that are available, the following lists have been prepared for their benefit. 

BSc Medical Transcription Top Colleges in New Delhi 

Here are the top BSc in Medical Transcription Colleges that operate in New Delhi: 

• Academy of Medical Transcription, New Delhi 
• AOP Training Institute, Gurgaon, New Delhi 

BSc Medical Transcription Top Colleges in Mumbai 

Some leading BSc in Medical Transcription Colleges in Mumbai are given below:

• Garware Institute of Career Education and Development (GICED)
• Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai
• Sharp Hearing Technologies, Pune

BSc Medical Transcription Top Colleges in Chennai 

Given below are some of the top BSc Medical Transcription Colleges in Chennai: 

• Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai, Chennai 
• Jaya Group of Institutions (JGI), Chennai 

Recent developments in the world of medicine, especially the now popular arena of medical transcription, has opened up a lot of opportunities for more and more recruitments as well as career growth.This has led to several students from all over India to opt for the course of BSc in Medical Transcription and its allied fields. Several BSc Medical Transcription admission options have opened in colleges all over the world, including countries like the USA, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and so on. With an evolving medical sector, BSc Medical Transcription has emerged to be a top contender in the education and job market. 

The following are the eligibility criteria that are required to be fulfilled for admission to the BSc in Medical Transcription courses abroad: 

• Clearing basic requirement English proficiency test such as TOEFL, IELTS and so on;
• Passing 10+2 from a recognised institution and board of education;
• Passing 10+2 in the Science stream with aggregate marks no less than 60%;
• Providing reference (at least 2) from the higher secondary school;
• Qualifying entrance tests (if any) and passing several stages of interviews;
• May need to provide a letter of intent in case for certain universities abroad;

The following is a comprehensive list of the BSc in Medical Transcription colleges where aspiring candidates can study abroad. The lists provided below are focused mainly on Canada and the USA.

BSc Medical Transcription Top Colleges in USA 

The following are the top BSc Medical Transcription Colleges in USA: 

• Oakland Community College, USA

BSc Medical Transcription in Canada 

Here are some popular BSc in Medical Transcription Colleges that operate in Canada: 

• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada 
• Algonquin College, Canada 
• Douglas College, Canada
• Durham College, Canada

BSc Medical Transcription is an undergraduate level degree. The course is basically about dealing with the transcription of either voice-recorded or written reports as dictated by any reputed doctor or healthcare worker. The medical transcription syllabus hence involves listening to recorded lectures of a physician or such a professional at first. Then one has to document that recording into tangible outputs like patient history, referral reports, operative reports and so on.  Medical transcription courses or medical transcription colleges are not particularly many in India but it is surely on the rise.

The BSc Medical Transcription syllabus is intensive with around 30 papers, depending on the university. The range of these subjects are also huge, running from biological and chemical sciences to simple English and computer sciences. Moreover, apart from the BSc courses, there are diploma and certificate programmes as well. The duration and course fee of BSc Medical Transcription are more than the diploma or certificate courses. Let us go through the BSc Medical Transcription syllabus breakdown module-wise. There are 2 modules to be covered throughout the medical transcription course. The first module contains 2 sections while the second module contains 3 sections. 

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus Module 1

In the first module of the BSc Medical Transcription course, there are 2 sections. These are:

Section 1: Language Origins and Adaptations 

Section 2: Dynamics of Medical Vocabulary and Word Structure

Section 1 consists of 3 papers while section 2 has around 8 papers. One must note that all these individual papers might vary a little with the BSc Medical Transcription colleges. However, the basic layout of the BSc medical transcription subjects is pretty much the same in both sections as well as modules. The colleges give their own inputs based on these. 

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus of Module 1 - Section 1

The entire point of the BSc Medical Transcription course is to be able to transcribe recorded or documented medical jargon into common usage that is accessible to the patients. Therefore, two things become preliminary for this at the basic level. One is a good hold on language itself and the other is a basic understanding of medical terms. The topics under this section are-

• Etymology
• Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation
• Medical Words

Etymology or root of any words is key to having a grasp on any language. The grammar practice ensures that in a practical output there is no unforeseen mistake because nobody finds a grammatical error in a medical report. Moreover, medical terms and vocabulary are a primary component of a BSc Medical Transcription course.

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus of Module 1 - Section 2

The second module of BSc Medical Transcription is quite long and tedious. Since this begins after the students already have a preliminary idea about the course having gone through BSc Medical Transcription admissions, it is a little more advanced. The including topics here are-

• Word Dynamics
• Body Dynamics
• Medical Instruments and Equipment
• Medical Specialities and Specialists
• Diagnostic Medicine
• Abbreviations
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Pharmacology

One look at the topics of the second section is enough to make one realise why the candidate needs to have a 10+2 science background to get through BSc Medical Transcription admissions. The scientific parts may be a little overwhelming if one has no knowledge about them. Parts like Pharmacology, Anatomy, Physiology, and diagnostic medicine are heavily dependent on both chemistry and biology and a 10+2 knowledge in them is going to be helpful for the candidates during the course.

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus Module 2

The second module of BSc Medical transcription syllabus is divided into 3 sections. They are:

Section 1: Introduction and Orientation to Report Types

Section 2: Pharmacological Compendium

Section 3: Surgical Compendium.

The second and third sections of this module are quite intensive. Let us take a look at the topics that each of these sections cover.

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus of Module 2 - Section 1

The first section of this module in the BSc Medical transcription course is introductory and quite easy amongst the three. However, it is one of the most important parts of the course because if you do not know the proper representation, the knowledge behind will yield no job once you are done with the course. As the name “Introduction and Orientation to Report Types” suggests, this section mostly teaches the candidates on how to professionally execute a report. The topics covered here are-

• Report Types
• OutPatient Reports
• InPatient Reports

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus of Module 2 - Section 2

The BSc Medical Transcription second module or Pharmacological Compendium is probably the most intensive section in the entire BSc Medical Transcription course. A pharmacological compendium refers to the study of drugs and the way that they interact with living organisms. The topics in this section are-

• Drug Terminology
• Dosages and Schedules
• Terms, Symbols, Spellings, and Packaging
• Administration
• Classification that includes brand, generic, and trade name
• Drug usage or listings by medical speciality

BSc Medical Transcription Syllabus of Module 2 - Section 3

This is the final section of the BSc Medical Transcription course. It is also a pretty intensive and important section of the course and tackles a wide number of topics. Surgery Compendium basically means learning to prepare general, breast, digestive, intra-abdominal, colon, bowel, anal, and any other listing or sample report that is directly or indirectly related to surgery. Therefore, knowing the surgical jargon becomes mandatory here. The topics are-

• Surgical Instruments
• Sutures and Dressings
• 4 hours of dictation for pronunciation specifics
• All types of surgery-related terms listing, dictation and sample reports.

Summing up, the medical transcription subjects that the candidate has to study in a BSc Medical Transcription course can be divided into 5 to 6 categories.

• First we have grammar and language practice including learning medical jargon.
• Then, there is the practical knowledge of preparing or transcribing a report properly.
• Diagnostic and surgical compendium follow next.
• Medical instruments and equipment is another important part.
• Drugs alone form an important part along with its branding and prescription process.
• Finally, the basics of the working of the human body is included in the course that covers parts like anatomy and physiology.
• However, certain BSc Medical Transcription colleges might also engage elementary data science or biotech courses in the curriculum for better job opportunities of their candidates later on.

Apart from clearing the BSc Medical Transcription admission process along with the eligibility criteria, candidates are required to have some skills that will help them perform better in this career. These include-

• Computer Skills - This is the most basic skill anybody applying for a medical transcription course should have. Medical transcriptionists must be computer-friendly and well-versed with the process of operating electronic health records systems because this is the medium that they have to use once they start working. Therefore, the more knowledge they have about computer operations, the better it is for their job.
• Writing or Grammatical Skills - They should have a basic understanding of the medical terminologies and must be able to write in correct grammar which is crucial for writing reports.
• Meticulous and Critical Thinking Abilities - Critical Thinking is important as there might be medical inconsistencies or mistakes in dictation which candidates need to understand and correct. Moreover, they must be good researchers because they should have enough information to make sure that the details they are providing in the reports are both reliable as well as accurate. Concentration and attention are also mandatory in the process. 
• Excellent Listener - Listening skills along with being able to make out what is being said is very important. Their jobs would expose them to various kinds of accents and diction, some of which might be difficult to decode. However, they will need to understand it and get the underlying meaning in the process of making the medical report.

Time-management skills - Similar to the case of every other job, anyone wanting to pursue a medical transcription course must be able to manage time efficiently. Under various situations, they may have extremely short deadlines that cannot be extended. There might be emergencies. Moreover, they need to be diligent and be able to hold their concentration for hours. Sometimes processing a report might get very tedious.

The best BSc Medical Transcription course books vary from course to course. It also depends on the curriculum and topics each college includes in the course. Medical transcription colleges have individual reading lists that their students need to follow. However, if one wants to get a basic understanding before starting the course right away, they can go through these books:

• The AAMT Book of Style for Medical Transcription
• The Independent Medical Transcriptionist: The Comprehensive Guidebook for Career Success in a Medical Transcription Business
• Medical Transcriptionist's Desk Reference
• Medical Terminology: A Practical Self-Help Guide to Master Medical Terms

There are different kinds of jobs that you can try getting once you have completed the BSc Medical Transcription course. These include-

• Medical Summarizer
• Medical Transcriptionist
• Sr. Representative Medical Recs Coding & Transcription
• Medical Assistant
• Nurse

Medical transcriptionists are medical documentation professionals. They have to listen to doctors or any other healthcare worker’s audio recordings and then transcribe them into written reports. They may also need to evaluate and update medical information that gets prepared with the use of voice recognition software. In order to generate medical histories and discharge summaries of patients, medical transcriptionists need to understand medical terminology and abbreviations. There are various companies that hire such professionals.

Medical assistants are hired at a lower level compared to medical transcriptionists. They find work in physician's offices, clinics, and other medical centres. They perform both clinical as well as administrative duties. The spectrum of their responsibilities might vary as per the organisation's location, specialisation, and size. Collecting and storing personal data is one of the key aspects of their job. In the process, they should act very professionally without any kind of prejudice. Maintaining the privacy of the patients is very important and their histories should only be conveyed to the relevant healthcare professional.

There are a number of companies in India that hire candidates who have completed a BSc Medical Transcription course. Some of these are-

• Spheris, Bangalore
• C-Bay-MedQuest - world’s largest and fastest-growing MT company in India
• Focus Infosys
• Acusis India - a pioneer of home-based transcription jobs in India
• Mediscribe India Ltd - Home Transcription company
• ScribeTech (E-Health) - UK based MT company
• SPI Technology  - one of the fastest-growing MT companies
• Medwrite India - Hyderabad based company
• World tech
• All Zone Management Solutions Pvt Ltd
• Transdoc.in

A number of these companies are multinational corporations. Moreover, there are many medical transcription companies that want medical transcriptionists for projects largely based out of hospitals etc. However, there are also some companies that offer freshers home-based jobs after they have successfully completed the BSc Medical Transcription course. The salary varies greatly with the seniority and kind of job. Moreover, work from home is always less paying than proper offline office work.

For a proper medical transcriptionist, there can be three options-

Additionally, medical assistants might expect a monthly salary of 25,000 rupees while nurses can have a monthly salary of anything between 20 to 40 thousand rupees depending on the kind of hospital that they are a part of - government, corporate, or an individual private hospital.

This is yet not a very well-developed course and there are a lot of openings that might get more recognition in the near future. New technological advancements are being introduced in the medical fields that makes the jobs exciting as well as challenging. This means they have to be well versed with computer programming more and more. The candidates can also go for further education to prepare themselves better for a well-paid job by doing a masters in medical transcription or some related courses.