ER Tech vs. Scribe

[oneirologist]

I'm currently a first-year pre-med student and was planning on taking an EMT course over the summer. However, the course conflicts with a research internship I have this summer, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to take it anymore.

My main question here is if it's more worthwhile to be an ER tech or a medical scribe. I've already perused some of the threads on this topic, but my specific questions are:

1. Which one is more respected by medical school admissions?
2. Which one would lead to a better recommendation from the physician you are working with? (Are there less one-to-one interactions with physicians as a tech?)
3. Is the EMT training worth it compared to not having to get as much training as a scribe? I know many EMT courses only take a few weeks or months, but it's very difficult to fit into my schedule when I have work and classes.

Thanks for all the help 🙂

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[Didierdrogba]

I'm currently a first-year pre-med student

 

[Geebeejay]

I'm currently a first-year pre-med student and was planning on taking an EMT course over the summer. However, the course conflicts with a research internship I have this summer, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to take it anymore.

My main question here is if it's more worthwhile to be an ER tech or a medical scribe. I've already perused some of the threads on this topic, but my specific questions are:

1. Which one is more respected by medical school admissions?
2. Which one would lead to a better recommendation from the physician you are working with? (Are there less one-to-one interactions with physicians as a tech?)
3. Is the EMT training worth it compared to not having to get as much training as a scribe? I know many EMT courses only take a few weeks or months, but it's very difficult to fit into my schedule when I have work and classes.

Thanks for all the help 🙂

I think both are great. I think that if you have the time to take an EMT course and are willing to commit more than just a few months to the job, go for ED tech. The reason = "hands-on" patient care experience. The first time I took a patient's blood sugar was on an ambulance ride-along and my hand was shaking and it was incredibly nerve-racking and stressful. After 3 years as a tech, I'm very comfortable with patients, and I'm glad I don't have to learn to acquire this comfort as a medical student while I'm simultaneously learning a ridiculous amount of foreign information.

Also, a lot goes into patient care, and there is a lot more to it than just what doctors do. As a tech you'll see a lot more of this, and as a scribe not so much since you'll be sewn to the doctor's side all day. But then again I've never been a scribe.

 

[katiemaude]

I wouldn't make a decision solely based on what will impress medical schools - they've seen it all.

You will get less body fluids on you as a scribe, you'll learn about the paperwork doctors have to do, and you won't be running your butt off as much. You will also spend more time with physicians whereas as a tech you will interact 75% of the time with nurses (although you do interact with physicians as well... I had plenty of time for mini lessons with them when it was slow, and I saw a lot of trauma surgeries). That said, I learned and saw a lot as a tech and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[oneirologist]

Never hurts to plan ahead 😉

 

[ilovebiology]

As an ER scribe myself, I would choose becoming a scribe over both an EMT and ER tech. (Obviously, this is my biased opinion). Ha! 🙂 Yes, it would be awesome to have that "hands on" experience that EMT's and techs have; however, if you really want to get a feel for what being a physician is like and get trained to literally think like a doctor, become a scribe. Now, every hospital site is different...the providers that I work with are such an amazing, talented group of docs who care about you and teach you anything and everything. The longer you're a scribe, the more you're going to get out of it. I will be coming up on being a scribe for 2 years this July. When the medical students come in to do their ER rotation, I am doing differentials in my head along with them, trying to see what tests they will order, etc. There is always a learning opportunity in all 3 positions, all are great clinical experience to medical schools. I gave you my perspective, but ultimately it is what you want to do. Don't choose a job just because you think it will look better to medical school, do something that you actually will like doing! Hope this helps! 🙂

 

[sunflower18]

Both are great. In my own limited experience, a lot of techs are pre-nursing students whereas the scribes are all pre-med or pre-PA. So take that how you will!

I think either are good experiences though. Tech is more hands on patient care, scribe is more seeing what all the physicians do and understanding the entire course of the patient's visit and care.

I'm a scribe. Love it. Sometimes wish I could talk to and directly care for patients, but all in due time! 😉

 

[Lamel]

I suggest Medical Assistant where you have clear patient care responsibilities.

You get to "Shadow" a doctor, perform direct patient care, interview patients (learn how to take a comprehensive HPI), understand the clerical insurance aspects, get comfortable with talking to diverse strangers, etc...

 

[galaxyx]

1. Take EMT course if you can.
2 Apply to all ED Tech, Unit Clerk, Scribe, etc jobs you can find.
3. Take the job that takes you and is willing to be flexible with your schedule.
4. If you don't like the job, use your connections to try a different one.
5. (Likely have trouble finding job, volunteer in ED to make connections, then get job)

My point being, you can't just necessarily decide you're going to do one thing and have it magically happen. You'll probably have to apply for a few jobs before you get one. Also, some scribe companies won't hire you until after your sophomore year.

 

[djsurf]

tech all the way. I worked as an ICU tech before matriculation and it was, IMO, the major deciding factor to my acceptance. I wrote about my experiences with patients, families, nurses, RTs, interns, residents, and attendings. If you want to be the boss, start from the bottom rung and work your way up, so you know and respect the effort that everyone around you puts in. Heck, I was doing compressions on my second day of work. Don't get me wrong, a scribe would be an awesome gig too, it all depends how you reflect and express your experiences to the adcoms. There's a lot less dookie involved too.

 

[Geebeejay]

tech all the way. I worked as an ICU tech before matriculation and it was, IMO, the major deciding factor to my acceptance. I wrote about my experiences with patients, families, nurses, RTs, interns, residents, and attendings. If you want to be the boss, start from the bottom rung and work your way up, so you know and respect the effort that everyone around you puts in. Heck, I was doing compressions on my second day of work. Don't get me wrong, a scribe would be an awesome gig too, it all depends how you reflect and express your experiences to the adcoms. There's a lot less dookie involved too.

Heh, and you don't want to be the surgery intern that gets a face full of dookie while examining a quad's sacral decubitis and goes pale and has to leave the room because it's his first time getting a face full of dookie....