Do medical schools take interest in...

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Do medical schools take any particular interest in applicants who have a substantial amount of experience as an emergency medicine scribe? I recently started working as one, and the experience is incredible and the amount I am learning is invaluable. Granted there is no hands-on with patients, everything else is as the physician does. How much of a competitive edge does this experience offer in light of not having any research experience, specifically?

 

[AlteredScale]

I'd have to say the learning you get as a scribe is very very good but doesn't really compare to research experience. Research experience is a necessity for medical schools with strong biomedical research aspects (usually top and mid-tier programs). The experience you get as a scribe is not only learning the language of medicine but have perhaps one of the most "intimate" shadow experiences one can possibly achieve as a premedical student.

 

[deleted407021]

I wouldn't think they do. It's a very common thing for premeds to be involved in.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I wouldn't think they do. It's a very common thing for premeds to be involved in.

This.

Being a scribe does not set you apart from the pack.

 

[music2doc]

Do medical schools take any particular interest in applicants who have a substantial amount of experience as an emergency medicine scribe? I recently started working as one, and the experience is incredible and the amount I am learning is invaluable. Granted there is no hands-on with patients, everything else is as the physician does. How much of a competitive edge does this experience offer in light of not having any research experience, specifically?

No.

It will count as clinical experience, which is great, but it's nothing more than basic clinical experience.

As for your second question -- you'll still want to have some research experience. Start applying to some labs at your school. I would suggest getting OUT of Bio & Chem for your research as those experiments tend to be of a very different type from what an MD would research and they tend to be overcrowded with pre-meds.

 

[Mr Avante]

This.

Being a scribe does not set you apart from the pack.

It is very mainstream as well ;S

 

[Planes2Doc]

I wouldn't think they do. It's a very common thing for premeds to be involved in.

👍

It's another thing that they see over and over and over and over and over again... Well, you get the point. It's nice that it's paid, but if the number of hours start to impact your grades, it would be best to quit.

In terms of balancing your life, schoolwork, and ECs, I think hospital ED volunteering is the way to go. You can't really beat four hours once a week, where you can even spend your time studying as well which would never fly with a paid position. The only thing that sucks is that you don't get paid, but the money you'd make as a scribe is chump change compared to future earnings anyhow. It's not worth making such sacrifices to do an activity that ADCOMs see all the time.

 

[The Bunk]

No.

It will count as clinical experience, which is great, but it's nothing more than basic clinical experience.

As for your second question -- you'll still want to have some research experience. Start applying to some labs at your school. I would suggest getting OUT of Bio & Chem for your research as those experiments tend to be of a very different type from what an MD would research and they tend to be overcrowded with pre-meds.

What kind of research would be similar to what an MD would do? I'm doing clinical research in an emergency department right now, but I keep feeling like I will be expected to have different kinds of research under my belt and I'm not sure what I should be aiming for.

 

[Barcu]

What kind of research would be similar to what an MD would do? I'm doing clinical research in an emergency department right now, but I keep feeling like I will be expected to have different kinds of research under my belt and I'm not sure what I should be aiming for.

You don't need research like an MD would do. It can be anything really, and my research was basic science that has little relevance to what physicians do.

The reason research is weighed more than clinical experience in this case is that research shows critical thinking. When you do research, you are actually researching and synthesizing info and results which is a valuable skill. It's all about the process of thinking as opposed to the actual research topic itself.

While clinical experience is necessary and can be a great experience, your only goal is to see if you like what a physician does. You don't need to actually learn anything. All of the information and practical skills you need to become a doctor will be learned in med school.

 

[mvenus929]

The reason research is weighed more than clinical experience in this case is that research shows critical thinking. When you do research, you are actually researching and synthesizing info and results which is a valuable skill. It's all about the process of thinking as opposed to the actual research topic itself.

Note that this is only true if you understand the project you're doing. I didn't do research as an undergrad, and one of my student interviewers actually said that it was a good thing I hadn't, because when she was interviewing, it was such a difficult thing to talk about since she wasn't designing her own projects, just doing scutish work for her PI. If all you're doing for your research is cleaning dishes at the end of the day, it's not going to be a very valuable experience.