MTC Academy

The Philippines hopes to take a fraction of the jobs available in the industry. Right now, it is not even in the 1,000 to 2,000 a year level. “If you fill in the gap, that’s big,” he said in a press conference Monday

The medical transcription industry is estimated to be worth as much as $20-billion worldwide with an annual growth rate of 13 percent. Medical transcription is the process of converting electronically stored voice data generated by medical professionals into text format.

Gonzalez noted that many firms in the United States are outsourcing their medical transcription services to countries like the Philippines because of lower costs. Other countries such as United Kingdom, Canada and Australia also have high demand for medical transcription services.

The Philippines is considered as a good provider of medical transcription services because of the large number of English-proficient workers and lower wages. At present, there are some 60 medical transcription service organizations in the country.

“We see the medical transcription industry in three years, as where the call-center industry is right now…It”s a matter of positioning the Philippines in the global market,” Gonzalez said.

With the continued growth in the industry expected in the next few years, MTC Academy is offering 18-month to six-month medical transcription training courses for graduates of high school, nonmedical courses and medical courses. MTC Academy has partnerships with 19 medical transcription service organizations, where its students and graduates can be given on-the-job training or be employed.

[Philippines is quick to train workers. Educators work very closely with employers just as the auto manufactures in the US did in the 1930's to produce exactly what business needs.]

Wages for a junior medical transcriptionist employed by a company can start at P11,000 a month, with incentives depending on production output. However, the real money can come from direct medical transcription work from the US, where a medical transcriptionist can earn between P35,000 to P75,000 a month.

To address the demand, MTC Academy sales director Herbert J. Betz III said there are negotiations to open branches or enter into partnerships with schools in Cebu, Pampanga, Caloocan City, Manila and Cavite. This month, MTC Academy is opening three franchise-owned branches in Sucat, Parañaque; Alabang, Muntinlupa; and Batangas City.

At present, there are six branches of MTC Academy, Rosario, Cavite; Cavite City; Buendia, Makati City; Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City; East Avenue, Quezon City and Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.MTC Academy partnered with Diliman Computer Technology Institute to introduce a medical transcription course at the branch in Commonwealth. The school is accepting students for the first batch, whose classes will begin on September 27.