This Woman Switched from Medical to General Transcription... and She's Much Happier!

Dianne Carter used to be a medical transcriptionist and administrative assistant... until she found General Transcription: Theory and Practice™. Now she's a successful general transcriptionist working as an independent contractor. And guess how long it took her to find work? Less than ONE month after finishing the course!

We asked Dianne to share her experience with us, and she was happy to oblige. We know you'll enjoy hearing her Transcribe Anywhere journey as much as we did!

Q: Hi, Dianne! Thanks for chatting with me today. To kick things off, can you tell us a little about your background? What did your life look like before TA?

I came out of many years of working in office environments. Many of those years were in information technology departments of several hospitals. After the hospitals, I also worked in accounts payable and as an administrative assistant. Then (because I was not aware of general transcription), I studied medical transcription and worked for a year as a medical transcriptionist.

Q: A medical transcription convert -- love it! So when did you start doing general transcription? And what made you decide to learn it?

Well, I am very new to general transcription. After training with Transcribe Anywhere, I have only been working as a general transcriptionist for about a month. I decided to learn general transcription because of my disappointment with what has happened to the medical transcription field and experiencing the extremely rigid environment in medical transcription. I found that even though I was working from home, I had little freedom. So far, my experience with general transcription has provided me with the freedom I was seeking in a work-at-home career.

I had worked so many years in office environments and needed a change. I was so burned out on the office politics and other aspects of the office working environment. I had no idea then that medical transcription was not going to give me any more freedom.

One other component to my decision to learn general transcription is that I am a “word” person. I have a natural affinity for words and nonfiction writing. While it’s true that transcribing is not writing, you are working with the English language exclusively, which is something I had never really focused on in my work before. I truly enjoy transcribing.

Q: You're in good company -- TA is full of word nerds. What was the most challenging part in getting started?

For me personally, it had more to do with the money, time, and effort involved. I had just invested quite a bit of money, time, and effort into getting training and getting started in medical transcription, and that turned out to be kind of a waste for me. So I was quite hesitant to commit myself to doing that again so soon.

But I knew that there was much I still needed to learn about general transcription because I had taken tests to apply to some general transcription companies who accepted beginners – and I could not pass those tests. This was not the case after I took the Transcribe Anywhere course. Very soon after I graduated the course, I passed my first job test and was offered an independent contractor position.

Q: Wow, that was fast! I always love hearing when students find work so quickly. What were the most valuable things you learned during the course?

I would have to say that the most valuable thing I learned was how to focus more so that background noises are not as disruptive. This I learned through the practice dictations. There are lots of audio files with answer keys to compare each of your practice transcripts to. These practice files are of varying lengths, difficulties, and accents, and they come with different instructions. This large amount of practicing is so valuable to help you transition into the general transcription field.

The punctuation quizzes and the section on transcribing using time codes were also very valuable. The course contains a lot of information about all aspects of both doing general transcription work (including places to find work) and in starting your own business.

Q: I'm so glad to hear you found the course valuable! We know you became an independent contractor soon after finishing the course -- can you tell us why you chose that route?

Sure! I am an independent contractor with an established general transcription company. I intentionally chose this route at this time to get more experience in transcribing. Then I can decide later whether or not I want to go out on my own.

Q: Sounds like a good choice for you. What advice would you give anyone thinking about becoming a general transcriptionist? Is it worth the money for training?

I would say that you should definitely get training before plunging in. There are a number of conventions that are standard within the industry that you will not know unless you get proper training. It’s not just a matter of listening to an audio and typing what was said. There is a lot more to it than that. And I would advise anyone to get that training through Transcribe Anywhere.

I would also say that it is worth the time and money to get the training. One of the valuable things about the Transcribe Anywhere course is that you have a lot of audio files of various types and varying levels of difficulty so that you can practice, practice, practice. This is invaluable for getting into the real world general transcription environment.

Q: To wrap up, can you give us a glimpse into your life today? Do you have anything else you’d like to share about your journey?

I will say that I truly enjoy the work. I also love the freedom that being an independent contractor gives me. There are drawbacks to not being an employee (no benefits) or having my own business (less money), but I enjoy being able to take on as much work as I want, work the days I want, and work whenever I can fit it into my schedule. As long I follow instructions, pay attention to details, do the best I can, and turn the transcripts in on time, all goes well. It’s been great so far.

It took me a long time to get here. I even tried entering the medical transcription field many years ago. But after testing, I was told I didn’t have an ear for transcription. Looking back now, I know that my previous bad experience was a result of inadequate training and not nearly enough practice dictations. After getting proper training, I was able to successfully enter the medical transcription field, but by then, many things had changed in medical transcription and I was not happy there.

That is when I discovered general transcription and decided to get trained again specifically for that. Now, I am just beginning my journey in general transcription. So far I am quite happy with my decision to go into general transcription and expect that it will be a rewarding experience for many years to come.

Our Take

We love how Dianne didn't let her negative experience with medical transcription get in the way of her goals! She's a perfect example of how we should always adapt and change in order to make our dreams a reality -- no matter what.

Your Turn

Do you feel stuck in your current job? Are you trying to gather the courage to quit and pursue something else like general transcription? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments, and be sure to check out our FREE 7-lesson mini course.