FOUR ROUTES TO MT SUCCESS at PHOENIX

The new Phoenix MT training center has been established at Gandhipudur, Coimbatore. Neatly set up to handle our small batches of max 10, the air-conditioned lab and separate classroom allow for undisturbed hands-on training.

As training schedules get established and batches fill up, we thought we would just outline briefly for our readers and potential students the bouquet of courses now available here. The initial offering concentrates on the foundational courses designed to effectively produce "industry ready" Medical Transcriptionists.

1. MT I Full Time: This course is your standard Medical Transcription training course, lasts 12 weeks, and demands 6 hours a day of lab/class time, 5 days a week (about 300 hrs).

2. MT I Part Time: As above but spread over 18 weeks for 3 hours a day. Morning and evening schedules are available.

3. CPC-MT: A course that covers all that you need to know for doing MT and spread over 37 weekends, designed primarily for college students and those who work weekdays but can spare their Saturdays and/or Sundays.

4. HT MT I: Especially for housewives, this course in MT skills is geared to home-based skill development, takes 18 weeks, and offers flexi-timings to suit those who have to send their kids off early in the mornings and then make it back home before the kids return from school.

Customized courses are offered for those with a demonstrable knowledge of medical terminology as well as options for more intensive language training for those weak in English comprehension or who have had English as a second language in their schooling. At this center, courses for upgrading to editor/QA level are in the offing.

The Phoenix entrance test helps us to assess the incoming student's existing language skill and it's FREE !

For details on these courses, for how to apply or for scheduling your entrance test, mail us at: phoenixbpo@yahoo.co.uk

or call +91 9364289696 or land line +91 422 2591758.

MT Lines Counts and the VBC, a New CONTROVERSY

For ages and ages, the MT line has been defined as 65 characters (including spaces). This 'standard' has been by consensus rather than in any sense a rule or regulation. Various other schemes have come and gone or are still hanging around in the background and these include the ASCII line, gross line, gross page, per minute pricing, and visible black character (VBC) measurement standards. Even if the VBC standard were not obviously unfair, the fact is that the introduction of any new 'standard' is always an excuse to reduce payouts.

Recently, the VBC standard has raised its ugly head as a challenger to the 65 character line. The resurgence of VBC has to be credited to industry bodies such as AHIMA and the MTIA (American Health Information Management Association, Medical Transcription Industry Association). Needless to say both of these organizations are run by industry barons whose only concern is to maximize profits, and if that means shortchanging the MTs, then that's just too bad. The advent and active promotion of VBC simply means that everyone earns 15% to 32% (on average) LESS per line.

MTs themselves really do not have anywhere to turn and it is high time they got together and started a unified fight for their rights and for some decent MT friendly norms in the industry.
MTs in India and the Philippines will scarcely feel the pinch as they are already paid about 5 times less than their American colleagues. But, for American MTs, who are already in full retreat over the massive loss of lines exported out by American based MNCs, the VBC may just prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back.