Any thoughts on whether I should quit my scribe position after 1 month?

[InspiroDoctoro]

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I am currently a scribe for a company who has a high turn over rate, like any other scribe company; however, I am currently getting paid $7.25/hr for the first 120 days and $8.50 after. I've been in training for a week (3 days because I'm part-time), and I am still having trouble with my HPIs. The doctor I scribe for would make these remarks to my trainer like, "Yes, she's SLOWLY improving." I requested for a transfer, but the higher ups told me I won't be transferred until they find a right candidate for this location, which may be weeks-months. I know that they are afraid of me quitting because they've called three times in the past three days. I did thought about it and am debating. My reasons are:

-I am still having trouble with HPIs, and even though I am a new Scribe, I am not being trained as well as I wanted. For instance, on the second day of training, I had to do all of the HPIs alone.
-The pay is terrible and does not pay my bills. Yes, I am currently getting help from my boyfriend, but he can only help so much.
-I've cried 2/3 days of training because of the stressful environment I had to endure. On top of that, I'm in the process of studying for the MCAT and getting shadowing hours, so it leaves me little time to take a breK.


Overall, I'm just wondering if the Scribe position is worth it. If I was to quit, I would not place it on my CV and application, and I will send in a 2 week notice. I was thinking of either doing MA/Phlebotomist if I was to quit. Anyone has thoughts on this? Should I quit and work as a Phlebotomist/MA to earn a slightly higher income since I'm no longer living with my parents, or should I perservere and hopefully get better within a short amount of time?

I have a lot of volunteer work in the hospital because I translated, charted rounds for ED, and was a receptionist. I also have a lot of leadership through TA, tutor, etc.

Any feedback would be nice. Thank you!

 

[workaholic181]

I am currently a scribe for a company who has a high turn over rate, like any other scribe company; however, I am currently getting paid $7.25/hr for the first 120 days and $8.50 after. I've been in training for a week (3 days because I'm part-time), and I am still having trouble with my HPIs. The doctor I scribe for would make these remarks to my trainer like, "Yes, she's SLOWLY improving." I requested for a transfer, but the higher ups told me I won't be transferred until they find a right candidate for this location, which may be weeks-months. I know that they are afraid of me quitting because they've called three times in the past three days. I did thought about it and am debating. My reasons are:

-I am still having trouble with HPIs, and even though I am a new Scribe, I am not being trained as well as I wanted. For instance, on the second day of training, I had to do all of the HPIs alone.
-The pay is terrible and does not pay my bills. Yes, I am currently getting help from my boyfriend, but he can only help so much.
-I've cried 2/3 days of training because of the stressful environment I had to endure. On top of that, I'm in the process of studying for the MCAT and getting shadowing hours, so it leaves me little time to take a breK.


Overall, I'm just wondering if the Scribe position is worth it. If I was to quit, I would not place it on my CV and application, and I will send in a 2 week notice. I was thinking of either doing MA/Phlebotomist if I was to quit. Anyone has thoughts on this? Should I quit and work as a Phlebotomist/MA to earn a slightly higher income since I'm no longer living with my parents, or should I perservere and hopefully get better within a short amount of time?

I have a lot of volunteer work in the hospital because I translated, charted rounds for ED, and was a receptionist. I also have a lot of leadership through TA, tutor, etc.

Any feedback would be nice. Thank you!

I mean if you really hate it amen can't continue then you should quit. However, scribing inherently requires a high learning curve, which we all experience.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

-I am still having trouble with HPIs, and even though I am a new Scribe, I am not being trained as well as I wanted. For instance, on the second day of training, I had to do all of the HPIs alone.

lol welcome to medicine. med school will be worse than this

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

I mean if you really hate it amen can't continue then you should quit. However, scribing inherently requires a high learning curve, which we all experience.

Yeah, I'm sticking it out for another two weeks. I've requested for more shifts to practice on my HPIs. If I find myself not improving, I will send in my 2 weeks.

 

[Terror Billy]

What you're describing is sadly the low end of the scribe experience. Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time, my recommendation would be to consider leaving if you don't feel comfortable in your workplace environment. See if you can find any docs you work with that are willing to perhaps take an extra minute to convey to you what they actually want.

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

What you're describing is sadly the low end of the scribe experience. Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time, my recommendation would be to consider leaving if you don't feel comfortable in your workplace environment. See if you can find any docs you work with that are willing to perhaps take an extra minute to convey to you what they actually want.

Thank you. I will hold out a bit more to see if anything changes. My trainer would tell me that my SOAP notes are great; however, the doctor would end up amending my notes and put her comments through my trainer instead of me directly. I should also mention that this trainer has been working for her for months now, too, so I don't know if it's just towards me or not.

Do you suggest applying to a different Scribe company or to individual providers? I should also mention that I do not have a problem catching what the provider/patient says because I type fairly fast (~109 WPM).

 

[MareNostrummm]

Thank you. I will hold out a bit more to see if anything changes. My trainer would tell me that my SOAP notes are great; however, the doctor would end up amending my notes and put her comments through my trainer instead of me directly. I should also mention that this trainer has been working for her for months now, too, so I don't know if it's just towards me or not.

Do you suggest applying to a different Scribe company or to individual providers? I should also mention that I do not have a problem catching what the provider/patient says because I type fairly fast (~109 WPM).

You have to tough it out. You're going through what every single scribe goes through. After about 3 months of working full time you'll feel like you can handle it (maybe 6 months if you work part time). I'd advise listening to practice HPI recordings online and timing how long it takes for you to finish a chart. Also the key is to ALWAYS be doing something, like putting your scribe signature in or dropping in the ED course template while you are thinking about how to word the HPI. Between shifts you should be reading medical literature, looking up lab values, studying treatment plants, whatever. Always try to stay ahead of the curve. If you can get to the point where you can anticipate what the physician is going to order you are way ahead of the game.

Everyone who works in the ED goes through this including the techs, nurses, and physicians. I've had to train family medicine physicians, who were coming into the ED for the first time, how to use the EMR. They were also slow, especially the older ones, and have even quit because they couldn't keep up with the pace. (Yes even physicians quit because they can't handle the ED, it's supposed to be tough).

 

[0beron]

Thank you. I will hold out a bit more to see if anything changes. My trainer would tell me that my SOAP notes are great; however, the doctor would end up amending my notes and put her comments through my trainer instead of me directly. I should also mention that this trainer has been working for her for months now, too, so I don't know if it's just towards me or not.

Do you suggest applying to a different Scribe company or to individual providers? I should also mention that I do not have a problem catching what the provider/patient says because I type fairly fast (~109 WPM).

Have you just been working with the one doc? She might just be expecting a little much. We can't be inside their heads and some doctors have trouble realizing that. If you can, I would ask her directly for feedback.

There is a huge learning curve when it comes to scribing and it is always rough at first. Everyone feels overwhelmed at first (and it does sound like you are not being adequately trained). You can learn a lot as a scribe, especially as you get close to the doctors. But when it comes down to it, if this job is not going to pay the bills then it might not be worth it. I work for a single practice rather than through a scribe company and I make a lot more, but it's not common to find that.

 

[festivespartan]

Thank you. I will hold out a bit more to see if anything changes. My trainer would tell me that my SOAP notes are great; however, the doctor would end up amending my notes and put her comments through my trainer instead of me directly. I should also mention that this trainer has been working for her for months now, too, so I don't know if it's just towards me or not.

Do you suggest applying to a different Scribe company or to individual providers? I should also mention that I do not have a problem catching what the provider/patient says because I type fairly fast (~109 WPM).

I think you're taking this a bit too personally. Pretty much every doc I work with as a scribe will make amendments to my notes when I'm done because it's easier for them to do it rather than read over the note and tell me what to change. You're almost never going to write a note that's exactly to the preferences of one doc or another, the goal is just to get as close as you can.

The pay sucks, I can't argue with that. If I weren't still living at home there's no way I could afford to be paid so little, but the experience is great. I've been in two different ER's and all the docs I've worked with are awesome, I even got two LOR's from this job. You'll learn a ton and the experience is worth it. But as others have said, there is definitely a learning curve. Don't take the doc's comments personally, it's not really their job to worry about how you're progressing through training so they just want their scribes to write good notes and their critiques might sound harsher than they realize. I would say, if you can afford it, stick with it, because medical school will be far more difficult than any part of scribing and you'll learn plenty.

 

[TrojanGal]

I am currently a scribe for a company who has a high turn over rate, like any other scribe company; however, I am currently getting paid $7.25/hr for the first 120 days and $8.50 after. I've been in training for a week (3 days because I'm part-time), and I am still having trouble with my HPIs. The doctor I scribe for would make these remarks to my trainer like, "Yes, she's SLOWLY improving." I requested for a transfer, but the higher ups told me I won't be transferred until they find a right candidate for this location, which may be weeks-months. I know that they are afraid of me quitting because they've called three times in the past three days. I did thought about it and am debating. My reasons are:

-I am still having trouble with HPIs, and even though I am a new Scribe, I am not being trained as well as I wanted. For instance, on the second day of training, I had to do all of the HPIs alone.
-The pay is terrible and does not pay my bills. Yes, I am currently getting help from my boyfriend, but he can only help so much.
-I've cried 2/3 days of training because of the stressful environment I had to endure. On top of that, I'm in the process of studying for the MCAT and getting shadowing hours, so it leaves me little time to take a breK.


Overall, I'm just wondering if the Scribe position is worth it. If I was to quit, I would not place it on my CV and application, and I will send in a 2 week notice. I was thinking of either doing MA/Phlebotomist if I was to quit. Anyone has thoughts on this? Should I quit and work as a Phlebotomist/MA to earn a slightly higher income since I'm no longer living with my parents, or should I perservere and hopefully get better within a short amount of time?

I have a lot of volunteer work in the hospital because I translated, charted rounds for ED, and was a receptionist. I also have a lot of leadership through TA, tutor, etc.

Any feedback would be nice. Thank you!

I would say you need to do what ever is best for you.
I am also a scribe. I have been working for about 10 months and am a trainer. The first few shift are always difficult but the key is improving. You won't always mesh well with every provider. My advice is if you really want to keep scribing, practice at home and work with your trainer. The more experience you have the better your charts will become. The trainer is there to double check everything, they shouldn't let anything be published in the medical record without making sure its accurate and detailed. If you have an other questions, I would be happy to help. I hope you choose what will be best for you and your application. Scribing isn't for everyone, but it is phenomenal clinical experience.

 

[HopefulDoc91]

I am currently a scribe for a company who has a high turn over rate, like any other scribe company; however, I am currently getting paid $7.25/hr for the first 120 days and $8.50 after. I've been in training for a week (3 days because I'm part-time), and I am still having trouble with my HPIs. The doctor I scribe for would make these remarks to my trainer like, "Yes, she's SLOWLY improving." I requested for a transfer, but the higher ups told me I won't be transferred until they find a right candidate for this location, which may be weeks-months. I know that they are afraid of me quitting because they've called three times in the past three days. I did thought about it and am debating. My reasons are:

-I am still having trouble with HPIs, and even though I am a new Scribe, I am not being trained as well as I wanted. For instance, on the second day of training, I had to do all of the HPIs alone.
-The pay is terrible and does not pay my bills. Yes, I am currently getting help from my boyfriend, but he can only help so much.
-I've cried 2/3 days of training because of the stressful environment I had to endure. On top of that, I'm in the process of studying for the MCAT and getting shadowing hours, so it leaves me little time to take a breK.


Overall, I'm just wondering if the Scribe position is worth it. If I was to quit, I would not place it on my CV and application, and I will send in a 2 week notice. I was thinking of either doing MA/Phlebotomist if I was to quit. Anyone has thoughts on this? Should I quit and work as a Phlebotomist/MA to earn a slightly higher income since I'm no longer living with my parents, or should I perservere and hopefully get better within a short amount of time?

I have a lot of volunteer work in the hospital because I translated, charted rounds for ED, and was a receptionist. I also have a lot of leadership through TA, tutor, etc.

Any feedback would be nice. Thank you!

I think if you truly truly hate this job and it's making you cry, there's not a good enough reason to stick with it. You mentioned you're also studying for the MCAT. If the stress of this job is affecting your abilities to study for the MCAT and could ultimately lower your score, it's most definitely not worth it. I was in a tough situation just 1 month before my MCAT where my job was forcing me to either work full time while taking a class, or quit. I was crying everyday over how my fellow employees treated me, and I realized for me it was best to leave. I had a HUGE stress lifted, and I think it helped me do well on my MCAT. Then I actually found a job working for a DO. Scribing is not the only clinical experience you can get. There are plenty of other ways you can achieve that. If scribing is something you think you can master and you want to stick it out, then go for it! But I don't think there's anything wrong with walking away.

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

You have to tough it out. You're going through what every single scribe goes through. After about 3 months of working full time you'll feel like you can handle it (maybe 6 months if you work part time). I'd advise listening to practice HPI recordings online and timing how long it takes for you to finish a chart. Also the key is to ALWAYS be doing something, like putting your scribe signature in or dropping in the ED course template while you are thinking about how to word the HPI. Between shifts you should be reading medical literature, looking up lab values, studying treatment plants, whatever. Always try to stay ahead of the curve. If you can get to the point where you can anticipate what the physician is going to order you are way ahead of the game.

Everyone who works in the ED goes through this including the techs, nurses, and physicians. I've had to train family medicine physicians, who were coming into the ED for the first time, how to use the EMR. They were also slow, especially the older ones, and have even quit because they couldn't keep up with the pace. (Yes even physicians quit because they can't handle the ED, it's supposed to be tough).

I'm getting better. Today, my doctor didn't have to amend my HPI and complimented me on how well I'm doing. I told her I'm leaving and she understands because of the company I'm dealing with. She plans on cutting ties with the company, too, because how unprofessional they can be.

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

Have you just been working with the one doc? She might just be expecting a little much. We can't be inside their heads and some doctors have trouble realizing that. If you can, I would ask her directly for feedback.

There is a huge learning curve when it comes to scribing and it is always rough at first. Everyone feels overwhelmed at first (and it does sound like you are not being adequately trained). You can learn a lot as a scribe, especially as you get close to the doctors. But when it comes down to it, if this job is not going to pay the bills then it might not be worth it. I work for a single practice rather than through a scribe company and I make a lot more, but it's not common to find that.

I currently only work for one doctor under a small company. With the stress it comes with and the drama the company has given me (I've only been working 4 days), I don't think it's worth it. I no longer live with my parents so I'm taking money out of my savings from undergrad to pay for bills, with the assistance of my significant other. I was promised 6 training shifts with a lead Scribe but I'm only having 3 training shifts (I talked to the higher ups 2 days ago and they verified with me I will have a trainer since I'm not ready.)

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

I think you're taking this a bit too personally. Pretty much every doc I work with as a scribe will make amendments to my notes when I'm done because it's easier for them to do it rather than read over the note and tell me what to change. You're almost never going to write a note that's exactly to the preferences of one doc or another, the goal is just to get as close as you can.

The pay sucks, I can't argue with that. If I weren't still living at home there's no way I could afford to be paid so little, but the experience is great. I've been in two different ER's and all the docs I've worked with are awesome, I even got two LOR's from this job. You'll learn a ton and the experience is worth it. But as others have said, there is definitely a learning curve. Don't take the doc's comments personally, it's not really their job to worry about how you're progressing through training so they just want their scribes to write good notes and their critiques might sound harsher than they realize. I would say, if you can afford it, stick with it, because medical school will be far more difficult than any part of scribing and you'll learn plenty.

Yes, I love everything I'm learning. The ultimate reason I'm quitting is how the company is unorganized. The first day, I was late to work because no one sent me any information on where I was working. I only knew of the name of the clinic so I drove through downtown. Turns out, the clinic is far south from that. My trainer apologized and said the office was supposed to send me info on it. I only have 3 shifts with trainers (2nd day, I had to do the HPIs alone while my trainer wasn't paying attention to me. I called the office about how I was not ready to continue this job alone and I was promised a trainer for today (Monday). No trainer, but I did do really well, and the physician complimented me on how she didn't have to amend my chart. I told her I'm leaving the company, and she understands because she doesn't want to do with the company itself. I may just apply after taking the MCAT (to a diff company).

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

I think if you truly truly hate this job and it's making you cry, there's not a good enough reason to stick with it. You mentioned you're also studying for the MCAT. If the stress of this job is affecting your abilities to study for the MCAT and could ultimately lower your score, it's most definitely not worth it. I was in a tough situation just 1 month before my MCAT where my job was forcing me to either work full time while taking a class, or quit. I was crying everyday over how my fellow employees treated me, and I realized for me it was best to leave. I had a HUGE stress lifted, and I think it helped me do well on my MCAT. Then I actually found a job working for a DO. Scribing is not the only clinical experience you can get. There are plenty of other ways you can achieve that. If scribing is something you think you can master and you want to stick it out, then go for it! But I don't think there's anything wrong with walking away.

Thank you! I only cried my first few days.

I think you're taking this a bit too personally. Pretty much every doc I work with as a scribe will make amendments to my notes when I'm done because it's easier for them to do it rather than read over the note and tell me what to change. You're almost never going to write a note that's exactly to the preferences of one doc or another, the goal is just to get as close as you can.

The pay sucks, I can't argue with that. If I weren't still living at home there's no way I could afford to be paid so little, but the experience is great. I've been in two different ER's and all the docs I've worked with are awesome, I even got two LOR's from this job. You'll learn a ton and the experience is worth it. But as others have said, there is definitely a learning curve. Don't take the doc's comments personally, it's not really their job to worry about how you're progressing through training so they just want their scribes to write good notes and their critiques might sound harsher than they realize. I would say, if you can afford it, stick with it, because medical school will be far more difficult than any part of scribing and you'll learn plenty.

My doctor also does this. On my second day, she would tell me the changes she wants, and the next minute, asks if I'm done with the changes so she can check.

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

I think if you truly truly hate this job and it's making you cry, there's not a good enough reason to stick with it. You mentioned you're also studying for the MCAT. If the stress of this job is affecting your abilities to study for the MCAT and could ultimately lower your score, it's most definitely not worth it. I was in a tough situation just 1 month before my MCAT where my job was forcing me to either work full time while taking a class, or quit. I was crying everyday over how my fellow employees treated me, and I realized for me it was best to leave. I had a HUGE stress lifted, and I think it helped me do well on my MCAT. Then I actually found a job working for a DO. Scribing is not the only clinical experience you can get. There are plenty of other ways you can achieve that. If scribing is something you think you can master and you want to stick it out, then go for it! But I don't think there's anything wrong with walking away.

If you don't mind me asking, what clinical job did you get under your DO?

 

[HopefulDoc91]

If you don't mind me asking, what clinical job did you get under your DO?

I work in a small orthopedic office. Besides the doctor, I only have 2 other co-workers. I was technically hired for the front desk, but we all help each other out and jump in where ever. So I get to take patients back and get them ready for the doc, help him with injections and other in-office procedures, while maintaining the front desk also.

 

[InspiroDoctoro]

I work in a small orthopedic office. Besides the doctor, I only have 2 other co-workers. I was technically hired for the front desk, but we all help each other out and jump in where ever. So I get to take patients back and get them ready for the doc, help him with injections and other in-office procedures, while maintaining the front desk also.

That sounds really nice! I will definitely look around, but I also need shadowing hours so I'll look into that as well as translating for patients, which I've done for about 300+ hours. Do you think that's considered clinical experience? I've been close enough to smell the patients and had to help the patients prep and inform them about x-rays etc.

 

[festivespartan]

That sounds really nice! I will definitely look around, but I also need shadowing hours so I'll look into that as well as translating for patients, which I've done for about 300+ hours. Do you think that's considered clinical experience? I've been close enough to smell the patients and had to help the patients prep and inform them about x-rays etc.

Definitely clinical experience. Half of the battle with medical school apps is making all of your experiences sound as relevant as you can. So think about how you can explain/describe your experience(s) to best show this before you actually start working on your apps.

 

[Mimosas]

Practice HPIs at home, specifically how you would structure them and your wording. Obviously, not using real patient information, i mean like make up a chief complaint at some other things. I'm sure they gave you a handbook or slide shows to review so really study up on the important things. Yeah, some doctors might say something negative but what helps is to ask each provider, prior to beginning your shift, what their preferences are -- keeping it short/ have every little detail/use exactly the words they say/etc. THEN, ask after the shift on what you can improve on. Be open to criticism. Med school and residency is gonna be similar where physicians critique you, i suggest getting use to it.

 

[HopefulDoc91]

That sounds really nice! I will definitely look around, but I also need shadowing hours so I'll look into that as well as translating for patients, which I've done for about 300+ hours. Do you think that's considered clinical experience? I've been close enough to smell the patients and had to help the patients prep and inform them about x-rays etc.

Yes that's definitely clinical experience!!

 

[deleted812153]

Scribing was truly terrible. If your app can get away with it, recommend quitting

 

[festivespartan]

Don't listen to the troll. If it's not for you, then it's not for you and there are plenty of other clinical opportunities for you to explore. But I've had an awesome experience in my time as a scribe.

At the very least, it exposes you to drug names, diagnoses, physical exam findings, etc but if you're willing to actively work with the information you're being exposed to, there's an opportunity to learn a lot more.

 

[jab12]

I really connect with you when you say you cried because of training...I cried in my car TWO days in a row after my training shifts were over because of the brutality LMAO. I've been a scribe in the ED for about 15 months now and I can't even begin to tell you how beneficial it has been in regards to learning medical terminology, gaining clinical knowledge, seeing incredible things, and not to mention knowing how to chart properly/efficiently. I mean truly, you learn things without even trying to just from the exposure. This is ALL stuff that we will have to learn as medical students someday and going in with that background will give you such an edge. I TOTALLY understand how much scribing sucks and its not "the ideal job" but not many people have it under their belt. I don't think it would be beneficial for you to put "1 month as a medical scribe" on your application because then you just begin to raise questions and cause people to ask "are they not able to commit to things?" "did something bad happen?"...if you were to quit, I suggest just leaving it out of your app altogether. BUT do note that I recently had a successful interview where a large portion of the conversation was about my scribing experiences. It really shows that you've gotten the exposure to both the good and bad of medicine and shows a genuine passion/interest for the field. I was literally at work earlier today and probably thought to myself "I'm not paid enough for this ****" 10 times. So i get it. But before you quit or consider leaving, try to stick it out. It really does get better - the beginning is always the worst. I'm lucky enough to work with incredible coworkers and doctors (for the most part) and I hope you'll experience the same.

 

[deleted812153]

The ER isn't for everybody. I say this as somebody whom it is absolutely not for.

 

[Scrubb]

x

 

[StudentDoctorNetwork?]

Scribing is overrated. The Caribbean is full of former scribes.

Quit scribing ASAP, since it's causing you emotional distress. Focus on doing well on the MCAT.

 

[Scrubb]

Scribing is overrated. The Caribbean is full of former scribes.

Quit scribing ASAP, since it's causing you emotional distress. Focus on doing well on the MCAT.

Many former scribes are accepted to MD/DO schools as well, but not just because they are scribes. I would agree that doing well on the MCAT should be your primary focus, but do not agree that "scribing is overrated". Every experience is what you make of it and one that gives you strong clinical exposure (and pays anything at all) is a great starting point

 

[Ishboo]

I used to scribe at a busy, 25 bed ED ~20hrs/week with ~18 credits while in undergrad.
It taught me so much more than HPI/ basic Pathophys. I learned how to manage time so well because of this. I wish I had scribed sooner.
If it's any consolation, no training will be enough for what you see in an ED. You have to have a certain mental aspect when you step in the ED. There will be pt's with multiple complains with varying associated sxs. You just have to stay calm and pay attention. Make a mental roadmap for every pt. I was told not to write anything down, but even after so long I still jot down pMHx/pertinent negatives and such.
Tldr: stick with it, shadow other scribes who've done it longer. You'll get it in no time. It's not difficult at all.
Disclaimer: while this is bar none the best gig out there, it's not enough to come between your studies.

 

[ortnakas]

Not a former scribe, but I recommend sticking it out for a bit. Everything is really hard when it's new; wait to make sure you actually hate it, not that you hate it because it's hard and new.

 

[Stormcall]

As someone had already mentioned, scribing is much more than just filling out medical charts. It helps you learn how to work with different people, how to remain calm under stress and pressure, how to grow a thick skin, etc. It really is a valuable experience depending on what you make of it.

 

[Doc_Ock]

I'm a former scribe for 2 different companies. Quit. They treat you like trash and the "experience" they try and sell you is NOWHERE near as valuable to an admissions committee as they'd like you to believe. There are other ways to get healthcare-related experience and LOR'S.

 

[BellaWriterChic]

I don't know if you continued this but I work as an outpatient scribe and I will say that HPI and ROS were my hardest to grasp. But I figured out a couple of tricks to help me get faster and more efficient.

1. Make note of what style your provider wants. I work with a variety of different providers and each likes their note a different way. I keep tip sheets to reference often.
2. When writing HPI, I used to start by making cliff notes (like when I use in lectures). Then I go back and rewrite my note how the provider likes his notes. One likes paragraph form for example, so I convert cliff notes into sentences. Also helps you organize the note.
3. Do the ROS after you write the HPI, and not at the same time. Seriously, took me a month to realize this.

I'm not sure if that helps, but hopefully some of that does. You are welcome to PM me if you have questions.

 

[Jdp00921]

I see so many of these "terrible scribe experience" threads on SDN and it's so unfortunate. I must not have had the common scribing experience because when I was a scribe in a very, very busy ER, my experience was pretty awesome. Of course, there were some stressful times when the ER would get backed up but overall, the position was much more rewarding and enjoyable than it was difficult or stressful. I guess maybe I can thank my chief scribes (?), but our training was certainly enough to get you in the right direction and in addition, as a new scribe, you were placed with either PA's or the "slower" docs so that you can learn at a decent pace. In addition, we didn't have any providers that were commonly avoided or that you dreaded working with; there were especially no providers who would make rude/derogatory comments in any way. In fact, the providers really appreciated their scribes and I believe we really helped to keep things moving along while saving the providers significant time vs. the alternative of having no scribe.

I think it's common to be underpaid as a scribe because IMO, these scribe companies know that we need/want the experience and will take the s***** pay and hours and bite the bullet for that experience. But overall, I don't think you should be hating your life every time you step into the hospital! I wish there was something that would get done about this so that pre-medical students can get the experience in a positive manner. These awful scribe positions are going to make people cynical before they even begin practicing as an actual provider!