MT, as I mentioned in my last weeks column, refers to Medical Transcription. And the main reason I am devoting several weeks of this column on this topic is that this industry has bright prospects for Eastern Visayas. Simply put: it will create high paying jobs for thousands of qualified Medical Transcriptionists (MTs) from this region.

It is even possible to consider Eastern Visayas (with its eleven State Universities and Colleges and fifteen Schools of Nursing) as the number one source of MTs within just two years. This will really put us in the Information Technology (IT) map of the country.

It should be noted that the Philippine government has estimated that this year there is a need for 13,000 MTs but there are only 5,000 MTs available. By 2010, the demand will reach 114,000, but the existing MT training institutions in the country can produce only 30,000 MTs by that time.

Clearly, the gap is so large, there is no doubt MT will be the next big Information Technology employment generation in the years ahead.

We need to open those MT trainings soon. My own computations reveal that even if we go full speed ahead with 20 schools offering the MT trainings, the most that we can produce is 4,000 MTs per year because a school with two trainors can train a maximum of 200 per year.

Given this scenario, our schools must focus on quality MTs, so that they will be given priority in hiring and earn us the distinction of having the most qualified MTs.

By the way, after a probationary period of six months where an MT is paid the minimum wage (time to improve the accuracy of his/her transcriptions), the salary goes up to P9,000 per month and so on up the promotional ladder where an Operating Manager is paid at least P35,000 a month and up to P70,000 a month, even only within 5 years from hiring.

My view is we will have more MTs than call center agents within 2 years time and several MT companies will be established in the cities and capital towns of this region within 3 years.

I will mention more Information, facts and projections on MT in the next several weeks so keep track of this hot prospect for our economic growth. Who knows: you or your child could be into MT soon.