diff --git a/src/utils/transcribeAWS.js b/src/utils/transcribeAWS.js
index 894f9d7..0ee2b15 100644
--- a/src/utils/transcribeAWS.js
+++ b/src/utils/transcribeAWS.js
@@ -101,28 +101,52 @@ async function transcribeWithAWS(audioBuffer, mimeType) {
   var specialty = process.env.AWS_TRANSCRIBE_SPECIALTY || 'PRIMARYCARE';
   var transcript = '';
 
-  if (useMedical) {
-    var StartMedicalStreamTranscriptionCommand = TranscribeModule.StartMedicalStreamTranscriptionCommand;
-    var medCmd = new StartMedicalStreamTranscriptionCommand({
-      LanguageCode: 'en-US',
-      MediaSampleRateHertz: sampleRate,
-      MediaEncoding: mediaEncoding,
-      Specialty: specialty,
-      Type: 'DICTATION',
-      AudioStream: makeAudioStream(audioToSend)
-    });
-    var medResp = await client.send(medCmd);
-    for await (var event of medResp.TranscriptResultStream) {
+  // Helper to collect transcript from a result stream
+  async function collectTranscript(resultStream) {
+    var text = '';
+    for await (var event of resultStream) {
       if (event.TranscriptEvent && event.TranscriptEvent.Transcript) {
         var results = event.TranscriptEvent.Transcript.Results || [];
         for (var i = 0; i < results.length; i++) {
           var r = results[i];
           if (!r.IsPartial && r.Alternatives && r.Alternatives[0]) {
-            transcript += r.Alternatives[0].Transcript + ' ';
+            text += r.Alternatives[0].Transcript + ' ';
           }
         }
       }
     }
+    return text;
+  }
+
+  if (useMedical) {
+    try {
+      var StartMedicalStreamTranscriptionCommand = TranscribeModule.StartMedicalStreamTranscriptionCommand;
+      var medCmd = new StartMedicalStreamTranscriptionCommand({
+        LanguageCode: 'en-US',
+        MediaSampleRateHertz: sampleRate,
+        MediaEncoding: mediaEncoding,
+        Specialty: specialty,
+        Type: 'DICTATION',
+        AudioStream: makeAudioStream(audioToSend)
+      });
+      var medResp = await client.send(medCmd);
+      transcript = await collectTranscript(medResp.TranscriptResultStream);
+      console.log('[Transcribe] Medical transcription OK (' + transcript.length + ' chars)');
+    } catch (medErr) {
+      console.warn('[Transcribe] Medical failed, falling back to standard:', medErr.message);
+      // Fallback to standard Transcribe
+      var client2 = new TranscribeStreamingClient({ region: region, credentials: credentials });
+      var StartStreamTranscriptionCommand = TranscribeModule.StartStreamTranscriptionCommand;
+      var cmd = new StartStreamTranscriptionCommand({
+        LanguageCode: 'en-US',
+        MediaSampleRateHertz: sampleRate,
+        MediaEncoding: mediaEncoding,
+        AudioStream: makeAudioStream(audioToSend)
+      });
+      var resp = await client2.send(cmd);
+      transcript = await collectTranscript(resp.TranscriptResultStream);
+      console.log('[Transcribe] Standard fallback OK (' + transcript.length + ' chars)');
+    }
   } else {
     var StartStreamTranscriptionCommand = TranscribeModule.StartStreamTranscriptionCommand;
     var cmd = new StartStreamTranscriptionCommand({
@@ -132,17 +156,8 @@ async function transcribeWithAWS(audioBuffer, mimeType) {
       AudioStream: makeAudioStream(audioToSend)
     });
     var resp = await client.send(cmd);
-    for await (var ev of resp.TranscriptResultStream) {
-      if (ev.TranscriptEvent && ev.TranscriptEvent.Transcript) {
-        var res = ev.TranscriptEvent.Transcript.Results || [];
-        for (var j = 0; j < res.length; j++) {
-          var item = res[j];
-          if (!item.IsPartial && item.Alternatives && item.Alternatives[0]) {
-            transcript += item.Alternatives[0].Transcript + ' ';
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
+    transcript = await collectTranscript(resp.TranscriptResultStream);
+    console.log('[Transcribe] Standard transcription OK (' + transcript.length + ' chars)');
   }
 
   return transcript.trim();