Denied a Scribe Position

[airplane75]

Hello everyone, so recently I was interviewed for a scribe position. I applied near the end of March, and it took them two months for them to get back to me for an interview. The interview consisted of typical questions: What does a scribe do, What skills do you have that would make you a good scribe, and hypothetical situations like what do you do if your laptop died. So I thought the interview went well, and two days later they sent me an email saying that essentially I didn't get the job and they won't go forward with my application. I am not exactly sure why I didn't get it. Do you think if I apply for another scribe position, I would have a better chance of getting it? Thank you, and sorry for the long post. Also, if it matters I live in southern california.

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[moemoekyun]

Can you ask you're interviewer? One scribe interview I had but didn't get, the interviewer told me that although I had good answers, good skills (I was tested on terms, typing speed/accuracy, etc, and got 99% right), she went with someone who already works in the same hospital (more experience). Scribe's a competitive premed job... You can try, ask if they can refer you if you did well on interview, but if you can't find anything, take the time to volunteer, shadow, or get a better job. Good luck.

 

[NeuResurgens]

While I was applying to my local hospital system, I received a lot of rejections. The best thing I did that helped me eventually get a job was to email/call back and ask what factored in to the rejection. Pretty much every time, they told me it wasn't that I was a poor candidate, but that there was someone else who was a much better candidate. So I didn't give up until eventually, one of the positions considered me the best candidate and I got the job. I would suggest asking them if they'd be willing to give you feedback on your application. It's likely that you weren't bad, but someone else was better. If you keep applying and trying to gain other experiences on the side, this can help as you work toward a competitive job.

 

[chemist16]

It happens to anybody when applying for a job. Maybe someone had the right connections (i.e. personal recommendation to the interviewer, etc.), maybe the interviewer just didn't like you, etc. All these things are out of your control. So if you ask the interviewer and they don't give you a reason or give you a vague one, know that it's just part of the job-seeking process. The key is to get up and find another one. Or apply to multiple at the same time. Not everything is based on merit.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Your seriously posting to worry about getting rejected for ONE job? What are you going to do when you apply to 30 med schools and even if you get into 1 likely get Rejected by at least 25 of them

Job search for pre meds with degrees of little professional skill set is rough. There people on here who apply to hundreds of jobs before finding one just keep at it

 

[mk2015]

It's a tough time getting in to a program. I applied 3 times before I even got an interview. Now that I'm on the other side of the hiring process I appreciate that there are a lot of factors that go into it. How many scribes are already on staff vs how many needed. Which shifts need more coverage at any given time. Just to name a few. I think your best bet is to do just as everyone has suggested. Contact them and see if they can give you a definitive reason for it and try applying again. Or you can always look for another position if this experience has turned you off from scribing.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

I interviewed with quite a large program in my area and was given the position the next day (I do happen to think I interview above average) and thought it was no big deal/anyone could get the job as long as they were decent. Turns out during orientation they had over 65 people apply and only took 6! I had no idea but scribe jobs are in big demand now and its only increasing, so don't feel bad or doubt yourself...Keep your head on a swivel for the next few openings which I'm sure will be sooner than later due to the high turnover nature of the job and absolutely best of luck!!

As others have said, I would call the company or interviewer and ask for feedback just to make sure there wasn't a glaring hole in your application or a poor interviewing skill you had no idea about.

 

[airplane75]

Hello all, thank you for your feedback. This is my first time applying for a scribe position, so I was definitely nervous and didn't know what to expect exactly. I plan on contacting them and seeing what went wrong and hopefully try to apply to other positions. I am graduating this month, and I thought having this job would have been perfect for my gap year before applying to me school. But in the mean time, I also have the option of doing clinical research at another hospital, which I might do, and apply to scribe jobs as they open and seeing what happens.

 

[MaybeDr]

I'd also expand your job search to tech positions as well. A lot of them pay much better, in my area at least.

 

[seizurecrow]

Why is everyone so keen on becoming scribes nowadays? It's starting to develop a cookie-cutter vibe to it.

Oh and don't worry about not getting the job, OP. It happens, but such is the nature of job hunting.

 

[MaybeDr]

Why is everyone so keen on becoming scribes nowadays?

I really don't understand the pull either.

 

[DocVader1990]

I really don't understand the pull either.

Your absolutely right premed, the countless hours of direct exposure to medicine in a clinical setting, along with direct interactions with physicians and endless practical experience in documentation and in working with other healthcare providers, it's just stupid and overrated... True preparation for medical school should be done not by seeing patients and pathology or even having any exposure to medicine, but by working in a lab doing low level tech work for a Ph.D. Nothing can prepare you for medicine as well as being surrounded by Petri dishes and being away from any being that might use oxidative phosphorylation for it's energy needs.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

IMO it's just really good experience and you learn ins and out of what practicing medicine is actually like in the real world. I have learned more from scribing than I ever did in 4 years of undergrad. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

Depending on where you scribe this may vary but bc I'm in an ER I've seen everything from a finger laceration to full codes and gunshot wound traumas and anything inbetween, not to mention you get to see patients from literally every walk of life/SES

But with that being said all programs aren't created equal so it really just depends, also a large part (as with anything) the experience is what you make it

 

[MaybeDr]

You're absolutely right premed, the countless hours of direct exposure to medicine in a clinical setting, along with direct interactions with physicians and endless practical experience in documentation and in working with other healthcare providers, it's just stupid and overrated... True preparation for medical school should be done not by seeing patients and pathology or even having any exposure to medicine, but by working in a lab doing low level tech work for a Ph.D. Nothing can prepare you for medicine as well as being surrounded by Petri dishes and being away from any being that might use oxidative phosphorylation for it's energy needs.

Why not pursue a tech position where you scribe, work up patients, actually participate in procedures, and get paid a livable wage with better hours? Sounds like the better option to me. Furthermore I never said or implied it was stupid and overrated. I simply said I don't personally understand the pull to the position because it had more cons than pros for me. No one is denying that it is great exposure.

 

[neusu]

Why is everyone so keen on becoming scribes nowadays? It's starting to develop a cookie-cutter vibe to it.

Oh and don't worry about not getting the job, OP. It happens, but such is the nature of job hunting.

My inclination is that it is a position that allows for clinical experience that also pays.

 

[ChillDawg]

Why not pursue a tech position where you scribe, work up patients, actually participate in procedures, and get paid a livable wage with better hours? Sounds like the better option to me. Furthermore I never said or implied it was stupid and overrated. I simply said I don't personally understand the pull to the position because it had more cons than pros for me. No one is denying that it is great exposure.

Tech jobs usually require some sort of certification, no?

 

[Promethean]

It happens to anybody when applying for a job. Maybe someone had the right connections (i.e. personal recommendation to the interviewer, etc.), maybe the interviewer just didn't like you, etc. All these things are out of your control. So if you ask the interviewer and they don't give you a reason or give you a vague one, know that it's just part of the job-seeking process. The key is to get up and find another one. Or apply to multiple at the same time. Not everything is based on merit.

I think this is a particularly shocking revelation to young people entering the real world outside high school / college. So much of their experience up to this point tells them that if they just work hard and are good enough, that they will receive rewards for it. (And gives them the converse opinion that anyone who isn't succeeding must not have worked hard enough or be otherwise personally flawed.)

Neither of these things are really true outside certain sheltered academic harbors.

In the real world, even in much of academia, who you are, who you know, and how lucky you happen to be can play a big role in how far your merit gets you. That isn't to say that anyone can achieve much of anything without putting in the effort, or that everyone who fails does so despite best efforts because of external circumstances. Just, it isn't so cut and dried anymore. Hours of effort no longer correlate quite so well with reward. Sometimes you will work your tail off and be beaten out by someone less deserving. Sometimes, you will find yourself more fortunate than someone else just as qualified.

What you have to do to succeed is to keep trying, and don't let the times when it doesn't work out discourage you. And when it works out, don't let that make you too superior.

 

[Promethean]

Tech jobs usually require some sort of certification, no?

No.

Not necessarily, any how. There are trade schools that would have you think so. I know people who racked up $10-30k in student loan debt going to get certifications to be medical assistants, anesthesia assistants, CNAs, and surgical technicians. I also know people who are doing each one of those things with nothing but on-the-job training. Some hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, etc. have in-house training programs that will let you gain those skills for free, or even while being paid to do the work. You might have to scout around a little, but options exist.

 

[ShopgirlNY152]

lol maybe ask this guy?

 

[Hospitalized]

Why not pursue a tech position where you scribe, work up patients, actually participate in procedures, and get paid a livable wage with better hours? Sounds like the better option to me. Furthermore I never said or implied it was stupid and overrated. I simply said I don't personally understand the pull to the position because it had more cons than pros for me. No one is denying that it is great exposure.

I will answer your post point by point.

Techs in the ED do not scribe. They might (I don't even think they do, never witnessed this) write a short note about them performing the EKG and having the MD sign off on it. But I don't even think they do that. It's possible they do something when they have to splint, but I haven't seen a tech sit at a computer for more than 1-2 minutes while typing, ever.

Floor techs might have to write more down, but then I bet it's more progress (eg "pt sleeping, helped to bathroom 20 minutes ago, vitals stable) than anything. Which is fine and very valuable for the healthcare process. As far as understanding the ins and outs of a physician's work life, it's next to nothing in value. For the person, it's good exposure to health care and life experience.

I don't know what your definition of "work up" is, but techs do not do anything that is remotely related to what a workup is in the ED. Taking vitals, transporting, EKG, and CPR (some techs are trusted to do it), among others, are all very valuable tasks that make an ED work. They are not, however, a workup. A workup is composed of the MDM that comes after the H&P of a patient and involves imaging, labs, consults, and treatment.

Yes, they observe procedures. As far as participate (unless you include splinting and EKG), they are really limited. I do just as much in the room as a tech does for something like a central line. That's one example, but it will vary from procedure to procedure.

As for getting paid a livable wage, I think that's all great and stuff, but as a prospective medical student, GPA is the most important thing. It's going to be really tough balancing working as a full-time ED tech (which would be a livable wage) and full time school. Is it worth it to do full-time ED tech work? Absolutely. And some individuals will need something like this to be self-sustaining. But, you also have school. If you can be a full time tech and do school, go for it. But, if you have the luxury of only needing a part time job, scribing is a great option and you should weigh which will be more valuable to you as a prospective medical school.

I will reiterate that my scribing position is not in a huge company and we are valued more as individuals. We have the ability to do rounds, listen to lectures on current events in medicine, and have flexible schedules. It's a program designed to get students into medical school. We had over half of our applying medical students get into MD.

Remember, the goal of pre-medical activities is to prepare one for medical school and becoming a physician. Some people may benefit more from being a tech than others. Some simply don't have the typing ability to be a scribe. That's fine, everyone takes their own path. Some days I wish I was a tech, and some days I couldn't be happier that I'm a scribe. That's only within the ED though. There's so many other jobs out there that can prepare you for being a great physician.

 

[chemist16]

I think this is a particularly shocking revelation to young people entering the real world outside high school / college. So much of their experience up to this point tells them that if they just work hard and are good enough, that they will receive rewards for it. (And gives them the converse opinion that anyone who isn't succeeding must not have worked hard enough or be otherwise personally flawed.)

Neither of these things are really true outside certain sheltered academic harbors.

In the real world, even in much of academia, who you are, who you know, and how lucky you happen to be can play a big role in how far your merit gets you. That isn't to say that anyone can achieve much of anything without putting in the effort, or that everyone who fails does so despite best efforts because of external circumstances. Just, it isn't so cut and dried anymore. Hours of effort no longer correlate quite so well with reward. Sometimes you will work your tail off and be beaten out by someone less deserving. Sometimes, you will find yourself more fortunate than someone else just as qualified.

What you have to do to succeed is to keep trying, and don't let the times when it doesn't work out discourage you. And when it works out, don't let that make you too superior.

THIS. THIS. THIS. THIS. THIS. Definitely. I think many students nowadays have a sense of entitlement, which may not be the same definition of entitlement that most of us have in mind. That is, many young people today believe that good grades entitle them to a certain job or coveted position in grad programs, med programs, academic posts, etc. Hence, they sacrifice other interpersonal skills and begin to resent themselves/others for it and become even more disgruntled when they don't get the post they want.

The bottom line is, that's just how life works in the real world. Many of us had to apply to many jobs just to get a couple of interviews. Assurance of a job is becoming even more of a myth for graduates of top schools.

 

[toffee_bloom]

I'll agree that becoming a scribe is becoming more and more popular as time goes on, but I don't think it's a bad thing. They're definitely needed to make the physicians' lives a whole lot easier, and it is good experience for any pre-med student.

However, just like there are pros to being a scribe, there are cons as well. I'm not a scribe personally, I'm a CNA, but my friend is a scribe and while she knows all the technical terms and abbreviations that I don't, she doesn't interact with patients or get to practice bedside manner hardly at all, because her job is to just follow and observe the physician. Obviously knowing the technical terms AND being able to interact well with patients are two very important things.

Secondly, one must consider the time investment (of having any job) in relation to their schoolwork and other priorities. My job was so relaxed and understanding of school that I was able to take off for pretty much anything - volunteer events, meetings, and hopefully in the future, for med school interviews, sometimes even with less than a week's notice! My scribe friend couldn't say the same. The hours were very inflexible, pretty much just not scheduling her when she had classes, but everything else? Her scribing position came first, which is FINE, if you are able to prioritize your time effectively. For some students that I noticed, they were unable to adequately study for some exams when they were forced to work a 12 hour shifts days prior. Of course every company at different hospitals are different, this is just what I had noticed in the past year.

So yes, being a scribe is great! So is being a CNA, tech, EMT, or hey, even a manager at Kroger or a waitress at a restaurant (ok, maybe they're not great per se, but any job experience is good experience so long as you weren't fired). Are you interacting with people? That's great, doctors do that too. Has your job called on you to be flexible or think quick on your feet? Well hey, that's what physicians need to be able to do as well! Did you deal with a variety of different people? Medicine is all about that life.

I think my point has come across. Every job has its good and bad, you just need to spin it in the right light for how that experience will help you as a physician in the future.

 

[chiefscribejake]

On an interview once, I asked for an example of multitasking. Here's what the jackass said to me:

"Yeah, once I was drunk and I had to grab different beers for everyone at a party. That was tough."

He was completely serious. I ended the interview there and he was declined. He seemed so confused about why... I don't understand some people and their ways of thinking sometimes.

 

[chemist16]

^Well, you can't deny that you run outta good beers really quickly!

 

[Promethean]

On an interview once, I asked for an example of multitasking. Here's what the jackass said to me:

"Yeah, once I was drunk and I had to grab different beers for everyone at a party. That was tough."

He was completely serious. I ended the interview there and he was declined. He seemed so confused about why... I don't understand some people and their ways of thinking sometimes.

Hahahahahah!

Nice that he made it so easy for you. Some people, you don't get to find out what jackholes they are until after you have them on payroll. Then it can be a real bear to get them back off it, depending on the HR situation at your facility.

 

[swolebrah]

My inclination is that it is a position that allows for clinical experience that also pays.

this is why I did it...had to pay the bills

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

ED tech's do not scribe, and in the hospitals I work have very little contact with the physicians if any at all. Pretty sure you have to go through a fairly lengthy certification course to but not sure about that.

And for scribing was killing multiple birds with one stone as it was paid and allowed me to gain a large amount of clinical hours/shadowing.

And luckily the company I work for is extremely flexible...Let me take an entire month off for MCAT prep when I requested...you basically tell them when you want to work and they schedule you in and can trade shifts with other scribes, etc.

 

[Neutropix]

On an interview once, I asked for an example of multitasking. Here's what the jackass said to me:

"Yeah, once I was drunk and I had to grab different beers for everyone at a party. That was tough."

He was completely serious. I ended the interview there and he was declined. He seemed so confused about why... I don't understand some people and their ways of thinking sometimes.

LOL

 

[chiefscribejake]

Scribing it the best job I've had out of every other restaurant/landscaping/whatever job I have held.

One of the doctors took me out to the shooting range once. How cool is that! I got to shoot the freakin' semi-automatic Uzi that he owns... Best day ever. We had coffee, talked about healthcare policies, and went to the hospital to go right to work for the next 12 hours.

Very vivid memory of mine and a favorite for sure.

 

[Neutropix]

Scribing it the best job I've had out of every other restaurant/landscaping/whatever job I have held.

One of the doctors took me out to the shooting range once. How cool is that! I got to shoot the freakin' semi-automatic Uzi that he owns... Best day ever. We had coffee, talked about healthcare policies, and went to the hospital to go right to work for the next 12 hours.

Very vivid memory of mine and a favorite for sure.

Yesterday doc handed me his credit card and told me to leave for a couple of hours and get some food. It wasn't as cool as shooting guns, but Docs definitely have been friends more than bosses in my experience.

 

[mehc012]

However, just like there are pros to being a scribe, there are cons as well. I'm not a scribe personally, I'm a CNA, but my friend is a scribe and while she knows all the technical terms and abbreviations that I don't, she doesn't interact with patients or get to practice bedside manner hardly at all, because her job is to just follow and observe the physician. Obviously knowing the technical terms AND being able to interact well with patients are two very important things.

Secondly, one must consider the time investment (of having any job) in relation to their schoolwork and other priorities. My job was so relaxed and understanding of school that I was able to take off for pretty much anything - volunteer events, meetings, and hopefully in the future, for med school interviews, sometimes even with less than a week's notice! My scribe friend couldn't say the same. The hours were very inflexible, pretty much just not scheduling her when she had classes, but everything else? Her scribing position came first, which is FINE, if you are able to prioritize your time effectively. For some students that I noticed, they were unable to adequately study for some exams when they were forced to work a 12 hour shifts days prior. Of course every company at different hospitals are different, this is just what I had noticed in the past year.

These things are all very location specific and dependent on what opportunities you make for yourself. I had tons of patient interaction at mine - I would often go ask the patient a followup question for the doc, give them their updates, reiterate the doc's explanation, or double back to the room after the doc and I finished our interview in order to help them with something they mentioned while we were in the room (blanket, water, etc.) Anything the patient mentioned to the doc, I would follow up on before the patient had to ask their nurse, and we'd end up talking. I also had the desk closest to the rooms, so I was the first contact for patients or family if they needed anything, or if they were getting impatient and had to be calmed down.

Sometimes the doc and I would go into the room, but the doc would be pulled out for a consult. Then it was my job to stay in the room and smooth things over so the patient didn't feel annoyed at being interrupted.

I would help with procedures in all not-specifically-clinical ways - helping the patient move into the right position, holding their hand (or holding them down for more serious matters) handing the doc supplies, talking to the patient to keep them distracted, giving them a pep talk beforehand, etc.

Patients would ask my opinion sometimes, specifically because I was not a doctor. They'd basically look at me and say "you are normal like me, what do you think?" (this one got tricky sometimes, admittedly).

And scheduling isn't just hospital-specific or company-specific...it can be manager-specific. My last manager was great; she'd let you mark your 'available' and 'unavailable' times, as well as 'prefer/would not prefer' times, and find a way to make it work. If she knew you had a trip coming up or an exam, she'd try to stack your shifts so that you had a big block of time. She was only allowed to give a week's vacation at a time, but if she front-loaded the preceding period and back-loaded the following one, you could almost double that.
The sacrifice was that we sometimes had brutal turnarounds...if you asked her to leave you a long gap, you might end up with a bunch of back-to-back 12s or jump around on your sleep schedule. If you marked too much time as 'unavailable', well, maybe she'd only be able to give you 1 or 2 shifts and you'd make less money. It was worth it for the flexibility, though.

The other manager? Nowhere near as flexible.

I think my point has come across. Every job has its good and bad, you just need to spin it in the right light for how that experience will help you as a physician in the future.

Agreed. I'd just caution people that scribe companies and hospitals vary wildly, so it's even harder to generalize than usual.

 

[chiefscribejake]

Yesterday doc handed me his credit card and told me to leave for a couple of hours and get some food. It wasn't as cool as shooting guns, but Docs definitely have been friends more than bosses in my experience.

Same with me, man. One doctor would call me to show up about 30~ minutes or so early to give me his credit card and grab him and I Japanese food before the shift. This job has been nothing but good towards me. Very grateful for the position and people I work for.

 

[Psai]

Same with me, man. One doctor would call me to show up about 30~ minutes or so early to give me his credit card and grab him and I Japanese food before the shift. This job has been nothing but good towards me. Very grateful for the position and people I work for.

wtf amazing

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

I have never had docs let me just leave the job, but I do get dinner bought for me quite often!

 

[IWantToBeSuccessful]

Does anyone know what the best scribing company in orange county ca to apply for is?