PhysAssist vs. ScribeAmerica vs. etc.

[dinosaurbogeys]

Hello! I'm a graduated senior (May 2015) majoring in neuroscience and planning to apply to medical school next cycle. My stats are pretty weak so far, so I want to jam a lot of extracurriculars into the 2 gap years I've found myself taking while I endure the MCAT and begin my first cycle of applications spring of 2016.

I searched around this and many other forums and decided to pursue a job as an ER scribe, but don't have any personal connections to local doctors or hospitals. I'm considering going to work for one of the companies that provides paid training and sets you up with a local hospital (which works out for me, since I live with my parents in a major metropolitan area where some of these scribing company are headquartered).

What I need to know is your experience working for either of these companies, and especially those who have worked for both or others. Wage, demands, opportunities for promotions, on the job experiences relevant to med school applications, scheduling flexibility, commute, training demands and the like! I would love to hear comparisons and second-hand experiences.

I've searched around and couldn't find a thread that specifically debated this topic, and am currently applying to both to see if I can pit them against each other since I would be a strong applicant by both of their standards.

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[Edv14]

I work for ScribeAmerica and have since last December (hired in November). So far, my experience has been positive overall. To answer your specific questions:

Wages: Perhaps the biggest drawback. $10 an hour makes it difficult to keep working here and is IMO not really proportional to the expectations and stress of the job. I made more in inflation-adjusted terms working in retail as a high school graduate.

Demands: It can be demanding, and how much so probably depends somewhat on who your managers ("chief scribes", sort of analogous to chief residents perhaps) are, what the doctors you scribe for are like, and where you are actually scribing. In general you are expected to do well with IMO somewhat minimal training, but it is very possible to perform according to their expectations.

Promotions: You can probably be promoted to the chief scribe position at some point, which pays around $13 an hour I think.

Relevant experience: Tons! The whole reason most people take this job for the lower pay. You will get to spend a lot of time with doctors and see on a day to day basis what their day is like. One thing I like most about scribing is it helped remind me that being a doctor is not the same as applying to medical school. You will learn a lot.

Scheduling flexibility: As a tip to get hired, the more flexibility you can give them (chief scribes, probably the ones who will interview you) the happier they generally will be. They usually have timeslots they have to fill and so the more flexibility the better.

Commute: Depends totally on where you're assigned / who hires you (you apply through a central ap at SA for example, and you will get interviewed at different locations, such as urgent care, hospital, etc.)

Training demands: Somewhat demanding, probably also depends on your managers. If you get an interview, do as much as possible to remember the terms list they give you pre-interview. I was asked questions about 5 terms on the list and giving a typing test.

Overall aside from the difficulties resulting from the wages I highly recommend giving it a try. You may have to be persistent in applying for a few months depending on what availability they have, which fluctuates a lot (i.e., spots can open up a few weeks or months, and they like a show of interest/enthusiasm).

 

[AvacadosAtLaw]

I currently work for ScribeAmerica and am really enjoying it. In my opinion, scribing is some of the best experience you can get. Some things you should know: It took me forever to hear back from ScribeAmerica (like three months) so apply early and don't get discouraged if you don't hear back right away. I don't have to commute very far because there is a hospital that uses ScribeAmerica right in my town. If you go on their website you can see their locations. I believe scribe positions in general are very competitive. If you get an interview, what they really want to hear is that your are very interested in scribing, can make a good time commitment to the company, and have a lot of availability. In my opinion its easiest to get hired in the summer because some people quit during that time because they are headed to med school.

Wages are decent but this isn't a job you should take if you are looking to make a lot of money. The expereiences make it worth it, but you could easily find better paying jobs. Scheduling is fairly flexible. We plan the schedules out a month in advance, so you know ahead of time when you will be working so you can trade shifts with someone if needed. For ScribeAmerica, there are six days of classroom training, then a final exam that you have to get an 80% on. Then we have about five shifts of floor training before you are officially on your own.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions

 

[Hospitalized]

I work for a physician's group, and I will say the experience I get is much more personalized than the large companies like ScribeAmerica. I work with a relatively select group of physicians who are getting to see me grow as a 1.) student, 2.) scribe, and 3.) person.

Training was much less intense. I didn't know (but have learned) most basic anatomy. Don't get me wrong, I studied a lot for my training, but I've also seen ScribeAmerica's training booklet and the quizzes, etc. and it's just unnecessary. There's stuff in their training book I've never used in 9 months as a scribe. The ER is a learn-as-you-go environment, there's no way to prepare you for it (as a scribe) other than to improve your typing and listening skills. Those two things make a good scribe. Honestly, it just takes time. Good English and vocabulary is a plus.

With regards to my program, it is very group oriented. The purpose of my program is to get you in to medical school, not just to improve the efficiency of the doctor you are working with. It's a much better model for students. It's just like anything else in life: a smaller, tight-knit group is going to be more beneficial for the individuals involved as opposed to a large corporation with a less personalized model. With that said, I think ANY scribing experience is one of the best pre-medical (right there with shadowing) activity for getting to know what it is like to be a physician. Surprise: even with 7+ years in training, patients STILL challenge a physician's knowledge and ask for scans or labs that are not indicated.

Also, a smaller group is more likely to have greater flexibility with scheduling. I've heard ScribeAmerica is brutal with scheduling.

 

[mehc012]

Scribing is absolutely worth it, but do try to minimize your contact with the actual scribe company management.
Every interaction I had with the hospital was reasonable (lots of red tape, but it felt like we were working together against the tape).
Every interaction I had with ScribeAmerica representatives was miserable.
They violated at several state labor laws during the year or so I spent working for them. I wouldn't mind that so much - big companies often overlook the regulations in the states they expand into - except that their only management technique was "carry a big stick and try to intimidate your employees." I don't take well to intimidation, and it's ineffective as a management strategy (especially when you are careless enough to attempt it while committing obvious work hour, paycheck, and contract violations which you could be held accountable for.) Most of the time, their big stick turned out to be cardboard because the policies people were objecting to and being 'brought into line' about were not actually allowable.
It wasn't really an issue - you could always bring the violation to their attention and get them to back off without repercussions - but it really did make me lose respect for them as a company to see them continually try to bully and bluster, but never with any actual firm footing to do so.

Bottom line: the experience is totally worth it, but the pay is crap and the the company is not on your side. Do it, but remember that you are your own best advocate and don't let them walk all over you. They will if they let them - the entire premise of the scribing industry is "hey, premeds will put up with anything for this opportunity!" and they're mostly right.

Scheduling wasn't so bad - very flexible in my mind, though I feel sorry for our poor managers, as it seemed that ScribeAmerica made their staffing policies specifically to make it difficult to schedule.

 

[itsraininbunnie]

I'm working for a physician's group, which actually pays a bit better than other scribe jobs - I get $15 an hour, with full medical and dental benefits, as well as 2.5 weeks of vacation a year, and 8 sick days a year. They're extremely flexible, I had 15 interviews for medical school this year, and never had a scheduling request refused. PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

 

[dinosaurbogeys]

Thanks for the replies, y'all!

I work for a physician's group, and I will say the experience I get is much more personalized than the large companies like ScribeAmerica... The purpose of my program is to get you in to medical school, not just to improve the efficiency of the doctor you are working with. It's a much better model for students.

@Hospitalized That sounds fantastic! How did you go about finding such a program?

 

[dinosaurbogeys]

PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

@itsraininbunnie How do I pm? Your profile has limited access. (I'm new)

 

[ChillDawg]

Quick scribe question: what do you guys literally do?
Are you at a computer typing up whatever the doc says, or typing on an ipad, or what?

 

[GrapesofRath]

I was actually finishing up my ScribeAmerica application when I saw this I was going to ask if anybody knows how competitive each of these programs are? Ie what do they look for(GPA wise and other factors?)-----is previous clinical experience(beyond hospital volunteering say a hospital job as such as nursing assistant) something that is necessary in most cases?

 

[AvacadosAtLaw]

I don't think previous clinical experience is necessary. They do generally look at your GPA just because they want to see if they think you'll be able to juggling school work and scribing. The biggest things they are looking for is availability and commitment to scribing.

 

[kawaiipupae]

I'm working for a physician's group, which actually pays a bit better than other scribe jobs - I get $15 an hour, with full medical and dental benefits, as well as 2.5 weeks of vacation a year, and 8 sick days a year. They're extremely flexible, I had 15 interviews for medical school this year, and never had a scheduling request refused. PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

How did you find a physician group? I've been trying to find some in the Bay Area but have only found large companies.

 

[itsraininbunnie]

How did you find a physician group? I've been trying to find some in the Bay Area but have only found large companies.

I just found it by googling!

 

[Hospitalized]

That sounds fantastic! How did you go about finding such a program?

Connections, the internet, persistence, luck, and living near a big city. I honestly have a pretty ideal setup; I live 15 minutes outside of a huge city with lots of opportunities, but I rarely even go there unless I need to. I hate traffic.

 

[BlueCircle]

I'm working for a physician's group, which actually pays a bit better than other scribe jobs - I get $15 an hour, with full medical and dental benefits, as well as 2.5 weeks of vacation a year, and 8 sick days a year. They're extremely flexible, I had 15 interviews for medical school this year, and never had a scheduling request refused. PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

Howdy! I tried PM'ing you regarding the company you work for but the website said your profile limits viewing

 

[butternutsquash]

I worked with PhysAssist for 18 months. here's my two cents:

Wage: You start out at your state's minimum wage. Upon hitting 300, 1000, and 2000 hours of scribing, you'll get a pay raise. I began at a little under $8 an hour and worked my way up to $10 an hour.

Demands: Shifts can be anywhere from 6 to 12 hours long depending on your facility. I worked in a higher volume ED that averaged 30 patients per 12 hour shift, but there were numerous days where we saw 35-40 patients.

Opportunities for promotions: many. You can become a trainer on your team, a CTS (Certified Trainer Scribe) who travels to new hospitals to set up scribe programs, and even work your way up to a chief scribe. PhysAssist sends emails every few weeks about corporate opportunities too, if you are inclined.

Scheduling flexibility: You fill out a schedule request each month that reflects a minimum number of availabilities based on your status as full time or part time. Vacations over 4 days long need to be approved at least 60 days in advance. Fellow scribes will help each other cover/swap shifts as necessary, provided that you communicate with them and reciprocate. (There are some scribes who always ask for help but never help others. Sooner or later, everyone figures out who they are and no one wants to help these individuals. DON'T become one of them!).

Commute: My commute was approx. 20 min to my hospital, but I know of another scribe who had a 50 min commute. It really depends on where you get allocated.

Training demands: You need to be a fast typer who can actively listen to a patient's medical history and transcribe it into an EMR. This skill takes time to develop, and PhysAssist will train you at a "Scribe University" location so you are familiar with medical terminology, elements of a good history, and how to manage workflow in the ED. Scribe U usually lasts 5 days and you will have plenty of opportunities to chart on an EMR. Multiple trainers will be on site to offer critiques while you are getting used to the ropes. After Scribe U, you begin your "residency shifts" at your hospital. These are a series of 6+ shifts where you work one on one with a seasoned trainer and a physician. Once you demonstrate the ability to function well as a solo scribe, you will start working by yourself without a trainer at your side.

Hope this helps!

 

[nhnative]

Hey, Just wanted to throw in another option! I don't know where you live, but I currently work for Essia Health, a much smaller scribe company based in California but with contracts throughout the country. I love it! We get a little more money than some companies, starts at $10/hr, I worked up to $12/hr within 6 months, and we get shift differential for nights and OT for any extra shifts we work. I currently work as a trainer as well, which is additional money/responsibility. The training is challenging and standards are pretty high (we have trainees who don't make it pretty regularly), but if you work hard and put in the time it is absolutely worth it. I currently work in an ED, and in addition to HPI/ROS/exam we also write the MDM/ED course/dispo/ddx for all patients as well. The learning potential is huge, and it's fun and challenging. Plenty of opportunities to work as a travelling trainer as well, once you've worked for a year or so. I would definitely recommend this company, web site is here https://essiahealth.com/

Good luck!

 

[FutureSalvadorMD]

I'm working for a physician's group, which actually pays a bit better than other scribe jobs - I get $15 an hour, with full medical and dental benefits, as well as 2.5 weeks of vacation a year, and 8 sick days a year. They're extremely flexible, I had 15 interviews for medical school this year, and never had a scheduling request refused. PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

Hey Itsraininbunnie! How can I PM you?

 

[takeurmeds02]

Just my qualitative two cents as it seems there is more detailed info from others as far as policy goes...I work for Physassist. I would do it again if I had to. The experience is great, scheduling is great, pay is minimal; been at it for a year and like 2 months, and I'm at 12.5/hr. There a very minor set-backs like difficult doctors but honestly, no matter what you do in life, you're gonna end up with difficult people. Going through physician groups does seem to pay more in most cases but there's no telling where you might end up department wise. I personally wouldn't scribe anywhere but in the ER but some people like the slower pace of PCP offices or more outpt-like settings.

 

[HinduHammer]

Worked for physassist. As a company they suck and are terrible. They expect everything from you and compensate you with minimum wage. As a chief scribe I loved talking to the manager in Texas who made 50k/year and literally did nothing for me except require a one hour call each week to talk about whether the physician group wanted to expand scribe coverage. Docs were cool so was experience. One or two docs were huge douche bags who stepped all over you and didn't even acknowledge your existence ( which the company doesn't care about- if the docs are happy who cares if they acknowledge you?) oh many docs were very nice to the female scribes however.... Anyway, I ended up moving from being a paid scribe who had to work awful hours to a volunteer scribe at a free clinic a few hours per weekend and I loved it so much more. Docs there actually wanted to teach. Scribing is great but big scribe companies are awful entities that care less than nothing about individual scribes.

 

[petitechouette]

I work for ScribeAmerica and it's been awesome! I'm an ED medical scribe and I have been learning a lot with every shift. I get paid $10/hour and work 3-4 twelve-hour shifts.
At the ED I work for, scheduling isn't that bad. We receive our monthly schedule 3 weeks in advance. I usually work 11am-11pm. We currently do not have overnight shifts and I'm very happy about that. I asked the Chief Scribe about whether or not we should be doing overnight shifts soon and he said no--especially because shifts around that time are slow for physicians.
I definitely recommend ScribeAmerica. The scheduling would depend on the site you're gonna be working for. For this position, I did 2 rounds of interview, 4 days of (intense) classroom training about medical terminology/abbreviations and Pathophysiology, and 3 floor training shifts (although they offer 4-5 depending on how comfortable you think you are by your 3rd floor training.
It took a month before I heard back from ScribeAmerica. I got 3 interviews of 7 I applied to.
PS: Study the medical terminology on their introduction packet BEFORE your interview.

 

[CC1123]

Just wanted to throw this out there, but I wouldn't recommend Elite Medical Scribes. The recruiters just tell you what you want to hear to get you invested in becoming a scribe, then change the rules once you've put in 20+ hours of unpaid training. And after that, there are so many hoops to jump through just to start working.

 

[Fission Chips]

I work for ScribeAmerica. Overall it has been a great way to learn about how an EHR works, and if you are paired with a cool doc you can learn some neat intricacies of the molecular mechanisms of disease. The pay is horrendous. You make minimum wage for the first 3 months, then $10/hour after that, but you have to clock out for lunch. I could make more by waiting tables 2x/week than I make in my 2 week, 80 hour paycheck from ScribeAmerica. However, none of us do it for the money, it is for the experience.

Your supervisors (Chief Scribes) can either make your life awesome or painful. One of my Chief Scribes is fantastic. The other has absolutely no communication skills whatsoever. She will change the schedule on you, then write you up for showing up to work when she cancelled your shift without telling you or posting the new schedule. Unfortunately she will be attending DO school next fall, I feel SO bad for her future patients ("Oh your labs? Yeah you have cancer w/mets but you should have known that already because you should be calling the lab directly") but alas, I rant.

I've learned a TON about medical terminology and disease since starting, however, the lack of responsibility is maddening. Sure, you get exposed to some cool things, but your job is to sit quiet and type. It requires absolutely no effort, and after a year you start to feel like your brain is rotting away. The job is one of the easiest I have ever had, the training is simple, the test you have to take is a joke (memorize 100-200 medical terms and meds, if you fail you can retake. But if you fail, you may want to reconsider medical school because it is simple memorization, about as difficult as History 101).

 

[deleted446889]

Hey there! Just chiming in with another vouch for ScribeAmerica. They're very professional, which has both pros and cons (mostly pros). They're usually incredibly organized, you'll never ever have to worry about payment issues or anything, but at the same time they're pretty strict on little things like clocking in and whatnot. They expect 100% effort and efficiency, but it's very doable. I'm sure you're already well aware of the incredible experience you'll gain. It's simply unmatched. However, the long hours (12 hour shifts) and intensive work rewarded by such low pay is a big downer, and after scribing for about 8 months now I feel that I've reached the point of diminishing returns. It only takes a few months to see 95% of everything you'll ever see as a scribe. Anyway, overall it's an awesome job, and I think anyone who wants to go into the medical field should absolutely pursue it.

One super important piece of advice I'd like to add is DO NOT let them control your life. They will absolutely take advantage of you if you let them. Be very, very clear about how much you want to work and when. You'll inevitably have to work a couple shifts you don't want to (nights and weekends), but be very very open about your availability and preferences. Be reasonable, but don't give them full control. By being very open, I've managed to only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays for about 8 months now, while I have friends who get scheduled all weekends and nights and they're just miserable. It's a hard job and it drains a lot from you. Don't let it hinder your grades or just life in general.

I need some advice as well! Scribing is becoming difficult for the reasons I stated above, mainly in that the hours/pay aren't worth the experience anymore, especially because I'm trying to save up to pay for the costs of applying. I was recommended to look for a scribing job in a private practice, and it was incredibly easy to find opportunities (made me realize how important experience is on your resume!). Unfortunately, no one was willing to take me part-time, and I'm still a full-time student and can't work every day. If anyone has any recommendations for jobs I could look for which would offer me the flexibility ScribeAmerica does (they're scheduling system is great for when you have other commitments) with better hours and pay. I'm open to anything really, it doesn't even have to be in a healthcare setting. It's just hard to find something (that's not minimum wage) that lets me work only on Tuesday/Thursday (I have classes on MWF). Thanks in advance!

 

[CC1123]

I could make more by waiting tables 2x/week than I make in my 2 week, 80 hour paycheck from ScribeAmerica.

Yea I'm looking to wait tables on the side since Elite only lets you do part time. Waiting tables if awful too but at least you make decent tips.

 

[babybluepremed]

I've worked for scribe America and PhysAssist and by far PhysAssist is the better company to work for! They're moe professional, have higher standards, better communication, and better corporate policies. The drawback with physassist is that they pay less. As a trainer, I was making like 9ish an hour and I make $10 as an everyday scribe for ScribeAmerica. I say that, but ScribeAmerica has literally messed up more than half my paychecks and had to back pay me because they tried to get away with paying me less than the amount on our contract. I'm sure ScribeAmerica has some locations that are under better management than mine is, cause ours is atrocious and corporate literally gives no ****s about the actual quality of our scribes. With that in mind, there are essentially no qualifications to become a scribe in either company other than you apply and make it through training. ScribeAmerica training was a joke. Physassist was way more informative and they invested more time in trying to make trainees better. ScribeAmerica did 4 horrible online courses where the trainer was horribly rude to everyone and they never even tested a scribes ability to write a decent HPI.

Tldr: ScribeAmerica pays better, but overall Physassist is a better company to learn from and work for. Either way, being a scribe is an excellent learning experience especially if you invest some energy into asking the doctors questions about their medical decisions.

 

[utmn]

I was very frustrated with ScribeAmerica for a long time due to not making a living wage- but they just increased our pay a tiny bit which is cool, and it's really, really easy to move up in the ranks and make a lotttt more money if you're interested. If you work for SA and you're sick of scribing, become a project leader! Set up new sites. Become a chief scribe! There are endless opportunities.


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[VegasPreMed]

Chiming in now.

I have been a scribe for three years. At the end of 2015, our company was bought out by PhysAssist. I'm am very close to just walking out and quitting. The company is the worst I have ever worked for (and I'm a nontrad with kids - I've held multiple other jobs in other industries).

They have proceeded to completely trash our schedule, move all of the established scribes around, hire in new scribes at minimum wage, health insurance is outrageously expensive, zero PTO/vacation/sick leave, etc.

I am looking for anyway possible to get out of here. DO NOT WORK FOR PHYSASSIST.

I highly suggest finding a small physician owned practice to work for or a local group. They are usually much, much better.

 

[VegasPreMed]

My post might have made it seem like this job shouldn't be pursued by those with families, sorry about that. Just for clarification, I was trying to emphasize that the job is intended to be picked up as a temporary gig for those considering pursuing medical or PA school. My company does a terrible job at recruiting; We get tons of people who either can't speak English well, can't type at all, are straight up idiots who somehow mishear everything coming out of a patient's mouth, etc. Then after the corporate office "screens" these candidates and sends the "most promising" my way, I find out they are completely incompetent. And to make it worse I'm one of those who travels to new sites to establish the scribe programs, and it makes me look like an idiot when I sit around waiting for trainees because I just fired 3 people who can't differentiate between singular vs. plural. The most recent was a single mom without medical experience or any intention of going into a professional medical job, going for the job for what she thought was going to be a solid paycheck because it's in the medical field, and was surprised by the fact that she was making minimum wage despite it being stated in her contract. -_-.

Totally. I get it's a temp job; I knew that going in. I gritted my teeth and dealt with the low pay, etc. but even if I was single and 20 I would still be livid with the way this company treats it's employees.

I mean, hell, scribes are making legal documents and mess ups can result in lawsuits if they are pulled. Yet we are paid less than a barista at Starbucks. Little bit of disconnect.

 

[MBE_18]

I'm working for a physician's group, which actually pays a bit better than other scribe jobs - I get $15 an hour, with full medical and dental benefits, as well as 2.5 weeks of vacation a year, and 8 sick days a year. They're extremely flexible, I had 15 interviews for medical school this year, and never had a scheduling request refused. PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

HI, I am interested in more information about applying, how can I get in contact with you?

 

[Lupe Vazquez P]

Can you explain a little further the process of training? How difficult is the exams, and how useful is the material provided. Also, it is a more memorization kind of type exam?

Thank you, I appreciate your time.

 

[Lollygag]

I really feel the need to point out that the efficiency and experience you obtain from scribing is far more dependent on the actual site you are at than the scribe company.

In my honest opinion, ALL of the scribe companies are terrible. I worked for PhysAssist and I would work 8 hour shifts and receive NO lunch break or break at all for that matter which I'm pretty sure is illegal but somehow was common practice to the scribes, I was also constantly scheduled for days that I requested off and you were not allowed to miss a shift, you either found coverage or didn't show up and got fired (EVEN if you had a doctors note!). My hospital only had 6 scribes so if you needed coverage there were only 4 people who could do it and if they were all busy then you either show up or get fired. In addition they had a non compete clause that you could not work as a scribe anywhere else. (which was not enforceable in my state and so I happily went to another company that paid me $15 an hour with full benefits, but I'm sure there are states where this non compete would be enforceable). In addition, my site only offered a shift time 10am-6pm. So It's a job for students but you schedule the shifts at a time that it's impossible for a student to take a class that day? -__-

The conditions, the culture, the shift times-- these are all things that will vary on the actual site you are at. I worked for a particular hospital but my friends at the hospital down the road had far more flexible hours so that they could easily be in school and work, better working conditions and more people to take coverage than at my hospital, and we were at the SAME EXACT company.

Almost all of your questions are site dependent, not company dependent.


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[cookiemonster000]

I work for ScribeAmerica and have since last December (hired in November). So far, my experience has been positive overall. To answer your specific questions:

Wages: Perhaps the biggest drawback. $10 an hour makes it difficult to keep working here and is IMO not really proportional to the expectations and stress of the job. I made more in inflation-adjusted terms working in retail as a high school graduate.

Demands: It can be demanding, and how much so probably depends somewhat on who your managers ("chief scribes", sort of analogous to chief residents perhaps) are, what the doctors you scribe for are like, and where you are actually scribing. In general you are expected to do well with IMO somewhat minimal training, but it is very possible to perform according to their expectations.

Promotions: You can probably be promoted to the chief scribe position at some point, which pays around $13 an hour I think.

Relevant experience: Tons! The whole reason most people take this job for the lower pay. You will get to spend a lot of time with doctors and see on a day to day basis what their day is like. One thing I like most about scribing is it helped remind me that being a doctor is not the same as applying to medical school. You will learn a lot.

Scheduling flexibility: As a tip to get hired, the more flexibility you can give them (chief scribes, probably the ones who will interview you) the happier they generally will be. They usually have timeslots they have to fill and so the more flexibility the better.

Commute: Depends totally on where you're assigned / who hires you (you apply through a central ap at SA for example, and you will get interviewed at different locations, such as urgent care, hospital, etc.)

Training demands: Somewhat demanding, probably also depends on your managers. If you get an interview, do as much as possible to remember the terms list they give you pre-interview. I was asked questions about 5 terms on the list and giving a typing test.

Overall aside from the difficulties resulting from the wages I highly recommend giving it a try. You may have to be persistent in applying for a few months depending on what availability they have, which fluctuates a lot (i.e., spots can open up a few weeks or months, and they like a show of interest/enthusiasm).

Can you tell us more about the typing speed test? Is it similar to the one of the application online? Thank!

 

[PatientCenteredHC]

Hi, I've been working for PhysAssist for several months. They are definitely very strict and do have high standards, but like pretty much everyone here has said your experience will actually depend on the site and on your chief scribe. I LOVE where I work and who I work with. I work in two different hospitals doing 8-hr shifts. We get a 15-min break. I love my team. The scheduler has been very accommodating and it has been relatively easy for me to find people to cover me in emergencies and for me to cover them. The only down side to scribing aside from the pay and the perils that come with shift work is that you don't really get to interact much with fellow scribes.

Benefits: As a part-time scribe you can still get minimum essential coverage health insurance and hospitalization insurance as well. You can even opt in to contribute to a 401k.

Do ask lots of questions to providers. Some providers are more approachable and relatable than others. Take advantage of those interactions. For all scribes out there as well as pre-health people in general, keep a document where you note all the things you're learning. What kind of provider do you want to be? What kind of provider do you not want to be? You think that you will remember, but you won't. Write everything down. That way, you will have lots of specific examples to talk about during applications and interviews!!

 

[Sardinia]

@dinosaurbogeys Expecting to receive second-hand experiences is one-hand too many.

 

[She17]

I'm working for a physician's group, which actually pays a bit better than other scribe jobs - I get $15 an hour, with full medical and dental benefits, as well as 2.5 weeks of vacation a year, and 8 sick days a year. They're extremely flexible, I had 15 interviews for medical school this year, and never had a scheduling request refused. PM me if you want more info, or if you want a link to apply!

Could you please share the link for above mentioned scribe company? Thank you