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Award winning Instructor
CanScribe is proud to announce that the Instructional Department Manager, Deb Palmer, has won the AHDI 2019 Educator of the Year Award! Having an award winning instructor leading the educational team highlights the support CanScribe offers to its students. Deb is a crucial part of the CanScribe team, and we would not be the same without her. So, let’s get to know CanScribe’s award winning instructor!
Who is Deb Palmer?
Deb was born in West Meadowbrook, New York, and spent the first 10 years of her life living in Point Lookout, Long Island, New York. She is the youngest of 9 children. Her father, a police officer, was born in Maine, and her mother, was born and raised in Prince Edward Island. Her father passed away shortly after she turned 7 years old. Over the next three years, her mother worked hard to save money to move the whole family to Canada. Ever since moving to Canada, Deb has lived in PEI. Deb is married and has a daughter, a son, and 3 grandchildren.
Deb always loved the outdoors and quickly took to swimming, fishing, and canoeing. She also learned how to ice skate, and played on a female hockey team for 6 years. In her adult years she has enjoyed bowling and hiking, and today Deb and her husband enjoy traveling, camping, kayaking.
Why Medical Transcription, Deb?
After high school graduation, I took an Early Childhood Education course and worked in that field for 8 years. Later I took a Resident Care Worker course and worked in that field for 4-1/2 years. Unfortunately, a back injury prevented me from doing so any longer. During my recovery period, I took a few computer-based courses and also took courses in customer service and in tourism. I later began working as a QA assistant manager, testing the quality of food products and then worked as a customer service rep at a call center. I worked there for 8-1/2 years.
While I was working at the call center, my brother met, and later married, a woman who was a medical transcriptionist and had worked in that field since graduating high school. We became very close, and she convinced me that I should take the medical transcription course and work in the MT industry.
Even though CanScribe was not formed yet when she had taken her MT course. She knew all about CanScribe and made sure that that was the only college I would consider taking the MT course with. I researched the industry and CanScribe thoroughly. I then decided this was the type of work I would like to do and that CanScribe was the school that I wanted to learn from.
What Has Your Medical Transcription Career Looked Like?
I enrolled in the MT course at CanScribe late in 2004 and completed the course with High Honours just over 9 months later. Upon graduation, I immediately began working for Focus Infomatics, based in the US. Later I worked for MedQuist Canada as a transcriptionist and master medical editor (MME). I also worked for Accentus as a transcriptionist and later a team leader.
While still working for MedQuist, I applied for a QA position at CanScribe in 2009 and was hired. I worked for 9 years at CanScribe before becoming Instructional Department Manager in 2018. Besides working for CanScribe, on the side, I continue transcribing for one of our graduates who went on to open a successful MTSO company of her own.
What Does an Award Winning Instructor Like About Medical Transcription?
One of the reasons I love the MT industry so much is because there are so many opportunities. Myself, I did medical transcribing, MME work, QA/QC work, team leader work, instructor work, and now managerial work. I was able to choose to work from home or I could look for a position in a local hospital. I chose to work from home.
As an at-home MT, I didn’t have to worry about cleaning off cars in the winter or traveling on snowy roads. I was also able to set my own schedule and work around my family’s needs. I always had an interest in the medical field and I love learning, so this was the perfect career choice for me. When transcribing, you learn new medical terms, procedures, drugs on a daily basis. It is a very interesting field to work in, and I am sure this will be the field I work in until retirement.
From CanScribe
CanScribe’s Vice President, Justin Chapman, had the following to say about Deb:
“Deb is crucial to CanScribe. She is always available for questions, no matter how many I have for her. Deb is relied upon by not just the instructional team, but our company as a whole as she seems to know everything about Medical Transcription. Her involvement with AHDI has helped CanScribe’s Medical Transcription Program lead the industry and produce award-winning students! I am not only proud of Deb, but I am honored to work with her.”
Deb is a true leader in the Medical Transcription Industry and at CanScribe. We are proud to have her on our team because we know how much she cares about our students. With her continued involvement throughout our entire educational team, we know our Medical Transcription program will continue to lead the way.
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