Experience in Getting a Scribe Job?

[chanandlerbong]

I'm currently having a lot of difficulty finding a scribe job in my area. I'm from Northern California and have applied to all the scribe locations in my city, through CEPAmerica, ScribeAmerica, and Elite Medical Scribes. I have yet to receive a call back from any of them, and it's been over two months. I have called their HR departments, but the only advice they gave me was to reapply with an updated resume, which I have recently. I feel like I have some fairly good experience, given that I have just graduated college. I'm trying to keep myself occupied with volunteering at the mean time, but I'm really interested in scribing. Can anyone offer any insight on your personal process on getting a scribe job? Or, any general advice on what to do in my situation?

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[Hospitalized]

Scribing companies tend to hire more during March-July because of applicants who get accepted to med school. Right now isn't usually the best time, so that may be why you haven't been getting any responses. Just be sure to express your interest in furthering your knowledge before you get to med school. Consistently calling and reminding them that you are interested will never hurt. It took me 1.5 years before I was hired. Although I applied very early and there was no real indications that I could get hired, I still attempted to get my foot in the door. I continued to send them my transcripts with updated grades and my desire to be a scribe, and in turn I was eventually hired. Unfortunately, you're not really in that position. My advice for you would be as persistent as possible in calling back and asking for updates on your application.

 

[mehc012]

I'm currently having a lot of difficulty finding a scribe job in my area. I'm from Northern California and have applied to all the scribe locations in my city, through CEPAmerica, ScribeAmerica, and Elite Medical Scribes. I have yet to receive a call back from any of them, and it's been over two months. I have called their HR departments, but the only advice they gave me was to reapply with an updated resume, which I have recently. I feel like I have some fairly good experience, given that I have just graduated college. I'm trying to keep myself occupied with volunteering at the mean time, but I'm really interested in scribing. Can anyone offer any insight on your personal process on getting a scribe job? Or, any general advice on what to do in my situation?

Also in NorCal...took me months to hear back, and then I heard from several at once. I ended up commuting a fair ways for mine because I took the first one that came up after the long wait. I sometimes kick myself for that, but it's kind of nice to be at a small center.

 

[HinduHammer]

I'm currently having a lot of difficulty finding a scribe job in my area. I'm from Northern California and have applied to all the scribe locations in my city, through CEPAmerica, ScribeAmerica, and Elite Medical Scribes. I have yet to receive a call back from any of them, and it's been over two months. I have called their HR departments, but the only advice they gave me was to reapply with an updated resume, which I have recently. I feel like I have some fairly good experience, given that I have just graduated college. I'm trying to keep myself occupied with volunteering at the mean time, but I'm really interested in scribing. Can anyone offer any insight on your personal process on getting a scribe job? Or, any general advice on what to do in my situation?

First off, its Mrs. Chanandler Bong.

Though this is an answer you don't want to hear, I suggest you find other opportunities to get clinical experience besides scribing. Not only because you are wasting valuable time simply waiting (worst way to spend time is waiting) for an opportunity, but when you do eventually get a scribe job, in my opinion, it will become really not as cool after a few months. If I could go back 1.5 years when I first began scribing, I would just get an EMT-B and become a tech. Scribing is fine, but its a dime-a-dozen thing. As a scribe you don't really do anything. You simply watch and document (and yes help manage physician workflow, when they let you), but you don't get to talk to the patients or help with procedures. It's a high stress, low pay job, and some docs treat you really ****ty. Obviously there are many people who love scribing, but I am one of the ones who became disillusioned with it, especially knowing how much you are seen as low-wage, hard labor. Scribe companies pay you peanuts with no benefits because you make them butt loads of money.

But if you insist on becoming a scribe, you should expand your geographic availability as another posted mentioned. The only key to getting a job is being a half-way intelligent/diligent person and a position being open. There is nothing you can do but wait.

 

[mehc012]

Must depend on the position...cuz I absolutely talk to ALL of the patients and help with procedures. I also get to sit there while they dictate their entire thought process into the chart, which is an invaluable insight. Scribing has been absolutely the defining activity for me going into this, and I feel 800% more confident moving forward having had this opportunity.

 

[gtbROX]

I'm in NorCal (Bay Area). As scribe company you might want to look into is EssiaHealth; they were hiring recently.

There are so many Scribe companies, and I got I found out about some of the lesser known ones by googling different variations of "Medical Scribe", "bay area", "Emergency Department", "ED". Finding out about them just depends on how diligently you google.

Actually getting contacted for an interview depends on diligence, luck, waiting list. If you apply to a scribe company, make sure to read the details of applying carefully. If they require that you take a typing test, I suggest you use typeracer.com for about 10-20 minutes before you actually take their test. My lead scribe told me that the people that sort out applications for interview look heavily at that test. Be sure to send a cover letter of why you want to scribe, updated resume, unofficial transcript, personal statement (if you have it). These are some of the things that I noticed scribe companies typically asking for. On your cover letter, make sure you convey that you know what a scribe does and what your relationship to the patient should be.

Once you get your application and everything submitted, follow up regularly and resubmit your application/resume whenever you find something to update.

Edit: Just to add, it took me ~3 months to get contacted back, but I sounded hesitant so they rejected me. Then I reapplied a month later and was accepted.

Just a warning, many scribe companies in Bay Area will not accept scribes that are currently applying to medical school. They also won't accept scribes that make it sound like they might not be able to commit a year. If you give them even a vibe that you might not commit a year, you will be rejected. I don't know if this is consistent for other scribe companies, but this is what I noticed across the board in my location.

 

[gtbROX]

First off, its Mrs. Chanandler Bong.

Though this is an answer you don't want to hear, I suggest you find other opportunities to get clinical experience besides scribing. Not only because you are wasting valuable time simply waiting (worst way to spend time is waiting) for an opportunity, but when you do eventually get a scribe job, in my opinion, it will become really not as cool after a few months. If I could go back 1.5 years when I first began scribing, I would just get an EMT-B and become a tech. Scribing is fine, but its a dime-a-dozen thing. As a scribe you don't really do anything. You simply watch and document (and yes help manage physician workflow, when they let you), but you don't get to talk to the patients or help with procedures. It's a high stress, low pay job, and some docs treat you really ****ty. Obviously there are many people who love scribing, but I am one of the ones who became disillusioned with it, especially knowing how much you are seen as low-wage, hard labor. Scribe companies pay you peanuts with no benefits because you make them butt loads of money.

But if you insist on becoming a scribe, you should expand your geographic availability as another posted mentioned. The only key to getting a job is being a half-way intelligent/diligent person and a position being open. There is nothing you can do but wait.

I agree and disagree.
I worked as a clinical care extender so I can see what you mean by the fact that scribing misses out on direct patient care/interaction. I think it was greatly useful for me to be directly involved in helping out with patient procedures and different needs.

I disagree, however, that as a scribe "you don't really do anything." That is not true at all. In terms of direct patient care, yes, but in terms of general utility, no. I don't really care about the money issue either because if I wasn't able to scribe, I would be shadowing. You don't get paid, and you learn much less.

But I agree that right now, OP should probably find something else to do in the mean time while he waits to hear back from scribe companies.

 

[radhopeful2021]

I'm currently having a lot of difficulty finding a scribe job in my area. I'm from Northern California and have applied to all the scribe locations in my city, through CEPAmerica, ScribeAmerica, and Elite Medical Scribes. I have yet to receive a call back from any of them, and it's been over two months. I have called their HR departments, but the only advice they gave me was to reapply with an updated resume, which I have recently. I feel like I have some fairly good experience, given that I have just graduated college. I'm trying to keep myself occupied with volunteering at the mean time, but I'm really interested in scribing. Can anyone offer any insight on your personal process on getting a scribe job? Or, any general advice on what to do in my situation?

Hi there,

I'm also from the Norcal and have applied to CEPAmerica twice. I was invited for an interview the second time around (around 1-2 year gap difference between the two applications) but was placed on the shortlist due to my availability times. I don't really remember the details but once they review your application they send you an email for a couple of phone interviews. Once that's done and they deem you as a qualified applicant, they forward your resume/application to the location you applied for. The hospital will also be giving another set of interviews. I'm assuming if they haven't contacted you after a few months, they didn't consider you to be a suited candidate for the job (in which case, I would suggest to fix your resume)

I also applied to Essia Health around the same time I submitted my CEP application the second time and was notified that my application was going to be placed on hold (due to my time availability). I wasn't contacted regarding my application until approximately 3 months after I was told I was placed on hold. Once they confirmed my active application, they forwarded my application for review by the manager who will be responsible for either a phone or Skype interview.

There was approximately a 2 week lag time due to the holidays and the managers don't really contact you for an interview unless they find an appropriate time in their schedule, but I now have an interview this Wednesday. Message me if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you!

 

[Tappinfool66]

First off, its Mrs. Chanandler Bong.

Though this is an answer you don't want to hear, I suggest you find other opportunities to get clinical experience besides scribing. Not only because you are wasting valuable time simply waiting (worst way to spend time is waiting) for an opportunity, but when you do eventually get a scribe job, in my opinion, it will become really not as cool after a few months. If I could go back 1.5 years when I first began scribing, I would just get an EMT-B and become a tech. Scribing is fine, but its a dime-a-dozen thing. As a scribe you don't really do anything. You simply watch and document (and yes help manage physician workflow, when they let you), but you don't get to talk to the patients or help with procedures. It's a high stress, low pay job, and some docs treat you really ****ty. Obviously there are many people who love scribing, but I am one of the ones who became disillusioned with it, especially knowing how much you are seen as low-wage, hard labor. Scribe companies pay you peanuts with no benefits because you make them butt loads of money.

But if you insist on becoming a scribe, you should expand your geographic availability as another posted mentioned. The only key to getting a job is being a half-way intelligent/diligent person and a position being open. There is nothing you can do but wait.

I very much agree with this. I've been a scribe for about 1.5 years and, while I've learned a lot and I'm grateful for the experience - it's come up in all of my interviews and I've been offered 3 acceptances so far - it becomes really tedious and boring after a few months. Like HinduHanmer said, some people love it, and that's great. But if you're one of the people who won't love it (which is more likely than not - not many people actually like charting), it will become frustrating working in a high stress and fast paced environment, occasionally with doctors who don't treat you well, doing something you don't enjoy for very little money and all the while not actually "doing" anything with patients but just being in the background documenting. This is all something you should consider. Like I said, I'm grateful for the experience and if given the chance to go back, I don't know if I would choose to not do it all over again. However, I can say that I've gotten to the point where I don't enjoy it and I'm ready to not do it anymore.

 

[xo7]

^I completely agree with Tappinfool and HinduHammer. I enjoyed scribe work in the beginning and felt I was learning a lot but now usually dread my shifts. You get paid next to nothing and will definitely get treated poorly at times. If you have time to get EMT certified, I would do that instead. Or have a job that pays decently well and scribe part time.

 

[Bea5T]

I feel scribing is what you make of it. At my job we are pretty much attached to the hip of the MD/DO at all times, so it's pretty much a 10 hour learning experience. Since you get access to all the patients past charts, lab work, and imaging results it gives you a chance to play doctor aswell. Yea, you aren't touching patients, but most of the medical decision process does not involve it. It also gives you a step up on learning charting which is a big part of your 3rd year rotations. Truth be told many of the docs I work with pretty much treat me like a medical student.


I guess it really depends on the program though. For reference I work for scribeamerica somewhere in the Bay Area

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

In some areas, you might be able to work your connections. I know in one of our local hospital systems, the scribes recommend people they already know for openings. Do you know anyone working as a scribe or working at the hospital at which you desire employment?

 

[ski89]

Look for Hospitalist scribe jobs. I have done both ED and Hospitalist and I find working in the hospital much more enjoyable. I also find internists to be more pleasant than ED doc's on average.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[alexlex143]

It may take some more time. I'm with CEP somewhere in the bay. I do know that St. Rose in Hayward will be hiring soon since about half their team just got acceptances. Half! I heard this from a highly reliable source, BTW.

Also, if you know someone, they can probably get you in for an interview. I was able to refer a friend simply by asking the scribe director.

Good luck!