Scribe Position or Assistant To VP Of Major University Department?

[CutterSpindell]

I was accepted into a scribe position several weeks ago and have been completing the prerequisite online training. This week a unique opportunity presented itself when I was offered a position as the special assistant to the vice president of a major administrative department at my university. I am quickly trying to evaluate both options so that I can make a decision. I would appreciate any and all input!

The scribe position would obviously provide me with additional clinical experience, but I feel like the assistant position would allow me to stand out more on my application. I would have the opportunity to sit in on meetings with the deans and upper administration of my university. Although some of my responsibilities would be secretarial, I think the networking opportunities would be very valuable.

The scribe position pays minimum wage ($8/hr), while the assistant position pays 48K+/year. It's hard not to immediately take the assistant position so that I can save up money. I just don't want to pass up valuable clinical experience if this position does not sounds like something that would be valuable on my application.

Please let me know what you think! Thank you.

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[CutterSpindell]

My current clinical experience consists of:

Shadowing an Internist (30+ hours)

Shadowing a Psychiatrist at an inpatient facility (70+ hours)

Hospice volunteer for 15 months (200+ hours)

I realize the hospice volunteering is not always considered clinical so do you feel like I have enough clinical experience without the scribe position? Thanks!

 

[snowflakes]

Assistant to the VP or Assistant VP?

 

[snowflakes]

My current clinical experience consists of:

Shadowing an Internist (30+ hours)

Shadowing a Psychiatrist at an inpatient facility (70+ hours)

Hospice volunteer for 15 months (200+ hours)

I realize the hospice volunteering is not always considered clinical so do you feel like I have enough clinical experience without the scribe position? Thanks!

On a more serious note, this is a tough one. Scribing is a great experience, but salary is also an important consideration. How many hours would you work as a scribe and how would your annual scribing pay compare to your other position? Also, hospice should definitely be considered clinical.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

Almost an embarassment of riches. Maybe see if you can do the scribe part-time (that is a 24/7 operation usually). The Asst job is probably 8-5, maybe swing both?? See if the asst job can be 80% time (4 day/week). Funny, lots of Universities are cutting these types of jobs with cost containment, etc. Good luck.

 

[CutterSpindell]

Almost an embarassment of riches. Maybe see if you can do the scribe part-time (that is a 24/7 operation usually). The Asst job is probably 8-5, maybe swing both?? See if the asst job can be 80% time (4 day/week). Funny, lots of Universities are cutting these types of jobs with cost containment, etc. Good luck.

I wish that I was able to swing both but for the scribe job and I am unable to list more than 3 days in a row of unavailability. Annually I believe I would make around 14K working the scribe position. Hard decision to make...

 

[tmn]

Well if it isn't my evil twin...

 

[tmn]

Take the cash and volunteer/shadow in your free time. No one is going to fault you for working a non-clinical job to support yourself. Get your clinical experience elsewhere. And make it rain with all the cheddar you'll be hauling in.

 

[SN12357]

I was accepted into a scribe position several weeks ago and have been completing the prerequisite online training. This week a unique opportunity presented itself when I was offered a position as the special assistant to the vice president of a major administrative department at my university. I am quickly trying to evaluate both options so that I can make a decision. I would appreciate any and all input!

The scribe position would obviously provide me with additional clinical experience, but I feel like the assistant position would allow me to stand out more on my application. I would have the opportunity to sit in on meetings with the deans and upper administration of my university. Although some of my responsibilities would be secretarial, I think the networking opportunities would be very valuable.

The scribe position pays minimum wage ($8/hr), while the assistant position pays 48K+/year. It's hard not to immediately take the assistant position so that I can save up money. I just don't want to pass up valuable clinical experience if this position does not sounds like something that would be valuable on my application.

Please let me know what you think! Thank you.

This is an easy decision. You have solid clinical experience. Take the better job and the better money and the better networking and volunteer on the weekends to keep up your clinical experience. Scribes are a dime a dozen. If you have actual solid understanding of the ins and outs of a university and just high-level administrative functioning in general, it will be extremely helpful for the rest of your career.

And seriously, the money. The money the money the money. You can live comfortable on 48k as a young single person just about anywhere and also save for the application process, interviews, and build up a nice safety net for medical school.

 

[snowflakes]

I wish that I was able to swing both but for the scribe job and I am unable to list more than 3 days in a row of unavailability. Annually I believe I would make around 14K working the scribe position. Hard decision to make...

Yeah, 14k vs 48k is an easy decision. Take the admin position. If you really want more clinical time, volunteer on weekends, but you're probably fine either way.

 

[DokterMom]

This week a unique opportunity presented itself when I was offered a position as the special assistant to the vice president of a major administrative department at my university. I am quickly trying to evaluate both options so that I can make a decision. I would appreciate any and all input!

The scribe position would obviously provide me with additional clinical experience, but I feel like the assistant position would allow me to stand out more on my application. I would have the opportunity to sit in on meetings with the deans and upper administration of my university. Although some of my responsibilities would be secretarial, I think the networking opportunities would be very valuable.

I'd find out a little more about this 'assistant to' position, specifically, what the duties are and why the position was offered to you. Some considerations: The VP knows you're only in this for a year? How much of the job is administrative? I know nothing about you and don't mean to imply anything negative, but 'assistant to bigwig' positions are often filled through nepotism, 'child of rich alumni', or 'pretty girl' criteria. I don't mean to disparage your abilities or experience, but am assuming you're a young, straight-out-of-college person with a good education and bright prospects but not much work experience. Are there other reasons you may have been offered this opportunity?

You cite networking as a big advantage, but I'm not sure that's the case. If you're female, an 'assistant to' job with any sort of secretarial/administrative component can paint you with a sexist brush and color perceptions of your ability for several years. If you're male, it's potentially less damaging, but the risk of being perceived as "VP's toadie" is real. Either way, the networking is only good if you're super-competent and professional at all times.

 

[CutterSpindell]

I'd find out a little more about this 'assistant to' position, specifically, what the duties are and why the position was offered to you. Some considerations: The VP knows you're only in this for a year? How much of the job is administrative? I know nothing about you and don't mean to imply anything negative, but 'assistant to bigwig' positions are often filled through nepotism, 'child of rich alumni', or 'pretty girl' criteria. I don't mean to disparage your abilities or experience, but am assuming you're a young, straight-out-of-college person with a good education and bright prospects but not much work experience. Are there other reasons you may have been offered this opportunity?

You cite networking as a big advantage, but I'm not sure that's the case. If you're female, an 'assistant to' job with any sort of secretarial/administrative component can paint you with a sexist brush and color perceptions of your ability for several years. If you're male, it's potentially less damaging, but the risk of being perceived as "VP's toadie" is real. Either way, the networking is only good if you're super-competent and professional at all times.

A masters student who previously worked in my research lab currently holds this position and is being promoted. She was asked to recommend her replacement and she selected me. Her selection has been reviewed by others in the department and they seem to be in agreement with her. I am a male so I am not worried about the sexist perception. I believe that many of the day to day duties would be secretarial, but I would also regularly attend meeting where major decisions for the university would take place.

 

[SN12357]

I'd find out a little more about this 'assistant to' position, specifically, what the duties are and why the position was offered to you. Some considerations: The VP knows you're only in this for a year? How much of the job is administrative? I know nothing about you and don't mean to imply anything negative, but 'assistant to bigwig' positions are often filled through nepotism, 'child of rich alumni', or 'pretty girl' criteria. I don't mean to disparage your abilities or experience, but am assuming you're a young, straight-out-of-college person with a good education and bright prospects but not much work experience. Are there other reasons you may have been offered this opportunity?

You cite networking as a big advantage, but I'm not sure that's the case. If you're female, an 'assistant to' job with any sort of secretarial/administrative component can paint you with a sexist brush and color perceptions of your ability for several years. If you're male, it's potentially less damaging, but the risk of being perceived as "VP's toadie" is real. Either way, the networking is only good if you're super-competent and professional at all times.

I'm curious where you are that 'assistant to bigwig' is a job filled through nepotism because in my experience the high-level people are aggressively insistent on their EAs being qualified and competent because anything else is a massive inconvenience. The nepotism tends to show up elsewhere in more easily buried roles, research assistants and the like.

 

[EngineerPreMD]

I'd find out a little more about this 'assistant to' position, specifically, what the duties are and why the position was offered to you. Some considerations: The VP knows you're only in this for a year? How much of the job is administrative? I know nothing about you and don't mean to imply anything negative, but 'assistant to bigwig' positions are often filled through nepotism, 'child of rich alumni', or 'pretty girl' criteria. I don't mean to disparage your abilities or experience, but am assuming you're a young, straight-out-of-college person with a good education and bright prospects but not much work experience. Are there other reasons you may have been offered this opportunity?

You cite networking as a big advantage, but I'm not sure that's the case. If you're female, an 'assistant to' job with any sort of secretarial/administrative component can paint you with a sexist brush and color perceptions of your ability for several years. If you're male, it's potentially less damaging, but the risk of being perceived as "VP's toadie" is real. Either way, the networking is only good if you're super-competent and professional at all times.

This seems a bit extreme. Even if someone pegs you as a "toadie" initially, you'd either confirm or deny this in the interview anyway. I wouldn't say that this position looks more impressive, since both are essentially assistant positions in some capacity, or that the networking opportunities will be much better than the scribe position (since it is not in your field of interest while the scribe is), but the salary alone is enough to justify this. Unless you're completely supported by your parents and they will supplement your income and pay for some/all of med school this would be a great opportunity to save before hand to minimize your loans. If you can live off 14K a year (minus taxes), the rest (minus taxes) can be saved and put towards school instead of using loans that will ultimately double with interest. No one will fault you for being responsible and trying to minimize your loans, especially when so many other applicants have free range to do whatever they want knowing the mom/dad are handling the money.

 

[CutterSpindell]

This seems a bit extreme. Even if someone pegs you as a "toadie" initially, you'd either confirm or deny this in the interview anyway. I wouldn't say that this position looks more impressive, since both are essentially assistant positions in some capacity, or that the networking opportunities will be much better than the scribe position (since it is not in your field of interest while the scribe is), but the salary alone is enough to justify this. Unless you're completely supported by your parents and they will supplement your income and pay for some/all of med school this would be a great opportunity to save before hand to minimize your loans. If you can live off 14K a year (minus taxes), the rest (minus taxes) can be saved and put towards school instead of using loans that will ultimately double with interest. No one will fault you for being responsible and trying to minimize your loans, especially when so many other applicants have free range to do whatever they want knowing the mom/dad are handling the money.

I appreciate your feedback! I'm also just curious if this position would be help to differentiate me from other candidates. I know that scribing is very common, but I feel like the an administrative position like this is less so. Wouldn't being able to show that I'm able to interact well with the biggest leaders of my institution be valuable on my application?

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Scribe companies are like sweat shops. $8 an hour? One of my relatives makes $18/hr as a medical recorder for an ED - not even a coder! She has a H.S. diploma, a few years of work experience, and works from home.

Once Uncle Sam and the relevant state get their cuts, there's really not too much of that 48k/year left to save. I'd just pick the job you think you'd enjoy more and not worry about trying to predict how it will be perceived in the black box of the application process.

 

[SN12357]

Scribe companies are like sweat shops. $8 an hour? One of my relatives makes $18/hr as a medical recorder for an ED - not even a coder! She has a H.S. diploma, a few years of work experience, and works from home.

Once Uncle Sam and the relevant state get their cuts, there's really not too much of that 48k/year left to save. I'd just pick the job you think you'd enjoy more and not worry about trying to predict how it will be perceived in the black box of the application process.

Even if 'there isn't much left' after 48k the difference from 14k is so massive it's absurd to point to that as a reason to not take the job. Even in the most expensive cities a single person without major family obligations (or, crippling debt) should be able to easily save money while earning 48k if they have any monetary sense.

 

[HopefulReapp]

Scribe companies are like sweat shops. $8 an hour? One of my relatives makes $18/hr as a medical recorder for an ED - not even a coder! She has a H.S. diploma, a few years of work experience, and works from home.

Once Uncle Sam and the relevant state get their cuts, there's really not too much of that 48k/year left to save. I'd just pick the job you think you'd enjoy more and not worry about trying to predict how it will be perceived in the black box of the application process.

48k minus 25% taxes is 36k. Rough estimate of $700 a month for rent and you are left with 27.6k. Minus let's say $400 a month for food and you are left with 22.8k. Maybe gas 3 times a month at $60 each and you are left with 20.6k.

How is that anything to scoff at for an entry level job???

 

[Tijou]

You seem to have a solid number of hours in a clinical setting. I think you should take the administrative position. As numerous people have pointed out, it makes way more money, and allows you to still be able to volunteer in your free time, it may not be scribe work but it is clinical exposure. I'm not sure how much connections you are able to form, but it will definitely be beneficial if your boss writes you a strong LOR. Take the monies!

 

[The Buff OP]

How do you guys find medical scribe jobs? I have been looking in my area and I never find job posting in the hospital's website.

 

[Pythagorean]

How do you guys find medical scribe jobs? I have been looking in my area and I never find job posting in the hospital's website.

http://www.iamscribe.com/locations.php

 

[The Buff OP]

http://www.iamscribe.com/locations.php

So I'm guessing they don't have scribe jobs in my area.

 

[GolfUSA]

Scribing with PhysAssist is a very challenging thing to do at first but they give you the tools and basic vocabulary to get started. It's a very stressful job that requires extreme multitasking, excellent typing skills, and the ability to remain calm under stress. I love it though. I see the overnight shifts and 12-hour shifts as an test for if you are capable of medical school and residency. I would recommend this if you want to learn a lot as well but don't care much about money because they pay like crap.

 

[DokterMom]

A masters student who previously worked in my research lab currently holds this position and is being promoted. She was asked to recommend her replacement and she selected me. Her selection has been reviewed by others in the department and they seem to be in agreement with her. I am a male so I am not worried about the sexist perception. I believe that many of the day to day duties would be secretarial, but I would also regularly attend meeting where major decisions for the university would take place.

In that case, do it for the money if you can resist the temptation to change your lifestyle so you could actually save anything. If you're the type to spend all you make, them whether it's $48 or $14 won't matter much, and the scribing would be the better career move.

 

[Lollygag]

48k minus 25% taxes is 36k. Rough estimate of $700 a month for rent and you are left with 27.6k. Minus let's say $400 a month for food and you are left with 22.8k. Maybe gas 3 times a month at $60 each and you are left with 20.6k.

How is that anything to scoff at for an entry level job???

I really don't mean to derail the thread but I'd like to know where you live that rent is only $700 a month so I can move there lol just wanted to point out this is extremely relative to where the OP lives. Plus there's car insurance, cable, internet, cell phone, gas & electric and heating bills, possible parking fees, routine maintenance of your car, the list goes on...

Especially because it's possible that the reason the salary is shockingly high is because the cost of living in the area is really high.

Don't get me wrong though, 48k is a decent salary for an entry level position and I think the decision is obvious to the OP. But saying they'll have 20.6k left over, I think that's unlikely when you really add stuff up.

 

[SN12357]

I really don't mean to derail the thread but I'd like to know where you live that rent is only $700 a month so I can move there lol just wanted to point out this is extremely relative to where the OP lives. Plus there's car insurance, cable, internet, cell phone, gas & electric and heating bills, possible parking fees, routine maintenance of your car, the list goes on...

Don't get me wrong though, 48k is a decent salary for an entry level position and I think the decision is obvious to the OP. But saying they'll have 20.6k left over, I think that's unlikely when you really add stuff up.

Even in Boston if you live with roommates you can find a decent place for rent that's less than $700/month. When I made significantly less than the OP I paid in cash for all my post-bacc classes (5-9k/year) as well as kept a car (totally unnecessary $400/month cost) and lived well without particularly being worried about my budget (ie, went out to dinner with my friends whenever I felt like it, etc). If you're at all responsible with your money and you have no major family obligations you can absolutely save 10-15k/year on 48k.

Of course, I know lawyers making six figures who are broke at the end of every pay period because they're horrible with money. But that's a choice. You can be 'broke' at any salary. At 14k/year you're actually going to be broke.

 

[Stabley17]

Even without the difference in pay, I would definitely recommend the assistant position. I'm ignorant I'll admit, but I honestly don't really see what the scribe position would bring outside of clinical exposure - which you already have some of and can EASILY get more of, if you want. With the assistant position, I imagine you'll find it more engaging and have much better networking opportunities. Though it may potentially be more stressful and I think you need to pay even more attention to who your boss is and whether you'll click or not.

 

[The Buff OP]

I really don't mean to derail the thread but I'd like to know where you live that rent is only $700 a month so I can move there lol just wanted to point out this is extremely relative to where the OP lives. Plus there's car insurance, cable, internet, cell phone, gas & electric and heating bills, possible parking fees, routine maintenance of your car, the list goes on...

Especially because it's possible that the reason the salary is shockingly high is because the cost of living in the area is really high.

Don't get me wrong though, 48k is a decent salary for an entry level position and I think the decision is obvious to the OP. But saying they'll have 20.6k left over, I think that's unlikely when you really add stuff up.

Come to Texas. I'm looking to move out next year to a rural town and they have student apartments that are like 525-700 bucks per room, but it covers internet, cable, water, and it has washer and dryer units inside the apartments.

 

[Lollygag]

Come to Texas. I'm looking to move out next year to a rural town and they have student apartments that are like 525-700 bucks per room, but it covers internet, cable, water, and it has washer and dryer units inside the apartments.