of 5— Create an Otter.ai Account

What you'll accomplish

You'll use Otter.ai to create a HIPAA-safe transcription practice environment — recording yourself dictating mock medical reports, letting Otter transcribe them, and then comparing your dictation to Otter's output. This reveals exactly where AI stumbles on medical terminology (the same places humans do) and helps you build speed without touching actual patient audio.

What you'll need

Otter.ai account — free tier available at otter.ai
Cost: Free (600 minutes/month), or Pro from $10/month for more
A microphone (your laptop's built-in mic works; a headset mic is better)
A medical text to read aloud — old sample reports, medical textbook excerpts, or AI-generated mock reports

How-To Guide: Use Otter.ai for Safe Transcription Practice and Speed Building

Step 1: Create an Otter.ai Account

Go to otter.ai and click Sign up (use your personal email — not your work email)
Select the free plan — it gives you 600 minutes/month which is plenty for practice sessions
Install the Otter.ai app on your phone or use the web version at otter.ai

What you should see: Your Otter dashboard with a "New conversation" button and your usage stats.

Tools:Otter.ai