More often than not, the one standing on the shore criticizes the rowing tactics of the boat riders struggling with the waves in the middle of a river. The medical transcription profession is criticized most by laymen who have absolutely no idea of the profession. Let us look at what critics of the profession have to say about it.

• Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can become a medical transcriptionist.
  Most people allege that the profession has too easy an entry. While it is true that there aren’t any educational or experiential prerequisites for the profession, not everyone can become a medical transcriptionist. One requires a certain aptitude in order to enter the industry.
• A typist or a secretary can do the transcriptionist’s job.
  Critics are of the view that medical transcription is not a specialized profession. This is far from being true. An individual undergoes rigorous training and extensive practice in order to join the profession. No typist or secretary can provide the in-depth medical knowledge and analytical reasoning that a transcriptionist brings to work.
• The future is not bright.
  People think that there aren’t too many opportunities in the field. If the projections of the US Department of Labor are anything to go by, the rate of growth of medical transcription opportunities is more than the average growth rate of all other occupations. The increasing and aging population increases the demand for medical records. This triggers the need for medical transcriptionists.
• The profession will not survive technological innovations.
  Many have been concerned that the speech-recognition software will take over the medical transcriptionist’s job. However, it has been established that the results of the software are not accurate. Moreover, doctors are required to spend a lot of time with the software, training and using it. This requirement rejects any scope of the software replacing the transcriptionist’s job. Instead, it is being used to aid his/her work.

Given its victorious emergence from the current spate of recession, the medical transcription profession is likely to see a very bright future.