what?" This is often the response I get whenever someone asks me what I do for a living. "A medical transcrip-tio-nist, I would repeat, taking a little extra effort to emphasize the last two syllables for good measure. Now I wouldn't blame them if they never heard of such a profession, after all, it's not a high-profile job that most folks would be familiar with. However, it is one of those careers that looks easy on paper but is actually challenging and occasionally frustrating in reality. It can be extremely rewarding as well, especially when you learn something new every day. It can also pave the way for a career that can keep you working even within the confines of your home. Medical transcription is an allied health profession which deals with the conversion of audio or voice-recorded reports as dictated by a physician or a physician's assistant into a typewritten document. It may sound like a simple task, but take into account that these reports are riddled with medical terms and jargon that would make most people shake and scratch their heads as if they had just heard a series of alien words being uttered in rapid succession. Ever heard of hepaticojejunostomy or Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome? How about a drug called Levetiracetam? No? Now try typing that with the dictator munching on an apple or talking in a very thick accent (no offense to people with English as their second language) and you will get the picture. You are not merely listening and typing, but you have to be sure that the lab data being presented are accurate, that your spelling and grammar are respectable, and you must be careful that no major error can be found in your reports. A patient's life could possibly be jeopardized, for instance, if you transcribed the wrong drug or medication dosage. But like any profession, medical transcription has its joys and fun times too. If you have ever tried editing medical transcripts, oftentimes you will find a few nuggets worth their weight in comedy gold whenever you encounter some hilariously misheard words. For example, it never fails to make me chuckle when someone typed "The cardiologist recommended doing a cabbage" (the dictator actually said the cardiologist recommended doing a CABG, which is an abbreviation for coronary artery bypass graft, a form of surgical procedure). Then there is the classic "the patient was treated for poison IV (I hope his nurse didn't intentionally slip arsenic in his IV line) when the dictator was obviously referring to poison ivy. Do you hate traffic? Do you dislike waking up before sunrise, getting dressed and exposing yourself to the elements outside on your way to work? Do you have a newborn or a toddler you have to take care of at home that creates hurdles for a steady source of income? Transcription can offer a solution to all of these as well, provided you have your PC or laptop, a fast Internet connection, the necessary tools and software for transcribing such as a headset, a foot pedal, a secure file transfer protocol (FTP), audio players like Express Scribe, and of course the necessary skill and experience to do medical reports without too much supervision. In fact, all forms of transcription, from medical, legal, general to business, are some of the most in-demand work-at-home jobs you can find online. Most of the job is done digitally, so the Internet makes everything possible. Currently I am working in a hospital setting in Dhahran. The myriad of physician nationalities and their respective accents (or lack thereof) have further honed my listening skills to the point that sometimes I can predict what the doctor is going to say (especially if you are familiar with a physician's usual dictations). It is also a great way to interact with doctors when there are terms you cannot decipher and you need their help in making sure the report is transcribed as accurately as possible. As I have said before, this is one of those jobs that seem easy to do at first glance but it's a profession that not everyone can do. So the next time somebody asks you if you are listening to some music just because you're glued to a pair of headphones, make them listen to the dictation and let them type a paragraph. As my parting words, I say give it a try and it might be the career for you. Eleven years onward, I know it's the right one for me. Jess Losaria, Dhahran
