How to obtain a Medical Scribe position?

[lee9786]

So I've been researching into working as a scribe. It sounds like it's great experience. I'm sold that I should do it. So now I wonder how to obtain a scribe position or in my situation if it's a viable goal to shoot for.

I've checked out the major scribe companies (found via Wikipedia search), and checked their job vacancies. Only ScribeAmerica seems to have something going on with one of the local hospitals apparently. (Which I applied to that position posted over 30 days ago). I did find a Pain Management clinic that was advertising on Indeed.com for a Medical Scribe position which I applied to as well. This was a more recent post. I hope to hear back.

I'm a bit disillusioned at the moment. I anticipated this service to be utilized by more. Based on what I've read about it, it's a great way to learn and get experience. I wonder if spending the money to get certified by the ACMSS would help. I was thinking about the possibility of calling different hospitals and clinics to see if they utilize the service and if certified already could work out something individually with a group.

Anyone ever do that or is working with the ultra mega corporations the only way to go? : ) I'd be fine with either actually as I can financially at the moment deal with making less money in exchange for the experience. I notice most positions are landed by people without the official certification. I have to manage and plan both my time and finances pretty tight if I'm planning on applying for the next cycle.

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[Espressso]

Yeah the majority of the large corporations like ScribeAmerica don't require actual certifications. I think that's unnecessary. I applied 4 different times before getting a call back from ScribeAmerica. Make sure to put as much availability as possible. They want their applicants to have availability and also commitment. Make sure to tell them you want to work two years part time or one year fulltime.

 

[memos]

Yeah I'm not entirely sure how people get their foot into scribing without the use of the large companies (physassist, scribeamerica, ect...). There are some clinics that would hire you independently of a company, but you usually have to be previously trained. I envy people that can become scribes without being a part of large companies.

Like the guy above me said, maximize availability. I said on my application that I was available nearly all week after september 15th. They got back to me within a couple of days of my application submission but I think I screwed myself by limiting where I wanted to work (but it was realistic, can't make 1 hour commutes). No idea what they have in mind now for me.

 

[MedStudentGohan]

So I've been researching into working as a scribe. It sounds like it's great experience. I'm sold that I should do it. So now I wonder how to obtain a scribe position or in my situation if it's a viable goal to shoot for.

I've checked out the major scribe companies (found via Wikipedia search), and checked their job vacancies. Only ScribeAmerica seems to have something going on with one of the local hospitals apparently. (Which I applied to that position posted over 30 days ago). I did find a Pain Management clinic that was advertising on Indeed.com for a Medical Scribe position which I applied to as well. This was a more recent post. I hope to hear back.

I'm a bit disillusioned at the moment. I anticipated this service to be utilized by more. Based on what I've read about it, it's a great way to learn and get experience. I wonder if spending the money to get certified by the ACMSS would help. I was thinking about the possibility of calling different hospitals and clinics to see if they utilize the service and if certified already could work out something individually with a group.

Anyone ever do that or is working with the ultra mega corporations the only way to go? : ) I'd be fine with either actually as I can financially at the moment deal with making less money in exchange for the experience. I notice most positions are landed by people without the official certification. I have to manage and plan both my time and finances pretty tight if I'm planning on applying for the next cycle.

I would strongly recommend not paying money for the ACMSS certification. I became a scribe for one of the big companies, and everyone on my team were first timers. No one had any previous experience scribing. Is Scribe America the only big scribe company in your area? There might be others to look at.

I think you may have already done this, but looking at job postings for the local hospitals might provide better results.

 

[lee9786]

Yeah the majority of the large corporations like ScribeAmerica don't require actual certifications. I think that's unnecessary. I applied 4 different times before getting a call back from ScribeAmerica. Make sure to put as much availability as possible. They want their applicants to have availability and also commitment. Make sure to tell them you want to work two years part time or one year fulltime.

I've heard about the two year commitment for part-time. I'm not sure how I could swing a full-time position with taking classes. So if I got lucky and landed a job tomorrow I would then be able to fulfill a 2 year commitment as if I apply next cycle and got accepted I'd start Med School in Fall 2018.

So the only way I could come through on that commitment would be to land in the next two weeks which looks unlikely. Of course my classes are over May 2017, so I could transition to full-time then. How are pre-meds pulling full-time Scribe positions while taking classes?

 

[lee9786]

I would strongly recommend not paying money for the ACMSS certification. I became a scribe for one of the big companies, and everyone on my team were first timers. No one had any previous experience scribing. Is Scribe America the only big scribe company in your area? There might be others to look at.

I think you may have already done this, but looking at job postings for the local hospitals might provide better results.

Interestingly I can't find anything in a search for UPMC which is the local hospital here. It's a bit frustrating as I'd be amazed if they didn't use this service.

Unfortunately out of the large companies posted on Wiki, only Scribe America seems to have any positions posted in area where I'm taking classes which is a 45 min commute away.

 

[Espressso]

Interestingly I can't find anything in a search for UPMC which is the local hospital here. It's a bit frustrating as I'd be amazed if they didn't use this service.

Unfortunately out of the large companies posted on Wiki, only Scribe America seems to have any positions posted in area where I'm taking classes which is a 45 min commute away.

I meant like, search scribe america's website for job listings in that area.

 

[lee9786]

I meant like, search scribe america's website for job listings in that area.

Thank you yep I did that actually. The hospital that's located by the school I'm taking O Chem classes had a position posted on ScribeAmerica's website. The post was over 30 days old though so I'm assuming that it is covered now. From what I hear, there is a good bit of turnover at the position so maybe there's an opportunity.

Definitely clinical experience is by far my weak point. As a nontrade, most of my experience has been in Healthcare Foodservice Management (career switch and previous pre-PT). So as of now, outside of my clinical work I did as a Food Service Director (I actually did nutr assessments) and my observation time as a pre-PT which I know counts for nothing, I have no real clinical experience currently. (currently working on volunteering at the local hospital)

As most clinical experience (which generally pays low) requires some form of education, which requires additional time and money, I've been wracking my brain on how to get clinical experience for the application.

It stinks as it seems acquiring a CNA position would be the best and fastest way, but in all honesty I have little desire to work in that role as I don't see it really being educational. I've worked with CNAs for years in the nursing home setting. I've also been looking at starting an EMT class which goes from September to February. The local company states they are currently hiring, but I'm not sure what kind of clinical hours I can log from February until application submission time if I want to apply for the following cycle.

Getting a little disillusioned here so I appreciate the help.

 

[Coltuna]

Thank you yep I did that actually. The hospital that's located by the school I'm taking O Chem classes had a position posted on ScribeAmerica's website. The post was over 30 days old though so I'm assuming that it is covered now. From what I hear, there is a good bit of turnover at the position so maybe there's an opportunity.

Definitely clinical experience is by far my weak point. As a nontrade, most of my experience has been in Healthcare Foodservice Management (career switch and previous pre-PT). So as of now, outside of my clinical work I did as a Food Service Director (I actually did nutr assessments) and my observation time as a pre-PT which I know counts for nothing, I have no real clinical experience currently. (currently working on volunteering at the local hospital)

As most clinical experience (which generally pays low) requires some form of education, which requires additional time and money, I've been wracking my brain on how to get clinical experience for the application.

It stinks as it seems acquiring a CNA position would be the best and fastest way, but in all honesty I have little desire to work in that role as I don't see it really being educational. I've worked with CNAs for years in the nursing home setting. I've also been looking at starting an EMT class which goes from September to February. The local company states they are currently hiring, but I'm not sure what kind of clinical hours I can log from February until application submission time if I want to apply for the following cycle.

Getting a little disillusioned here so I appreciate the help.

There is quite a bit of turnover for the positions OUTSIDE of scribe staffing agencies. For Example, I worked in an orthopedic setting that hired and trained their own scribes, and I was the most experienced scribe after only 4-5 months because of how many they were hiring/scribes were leaving. On the other hand, larger scribe staffing companies such as ScribeAmerica usually require a 1 year full-time or 2 year part-time commitment, so turnover isn't great. As far as educational requirements go, more medical education will help you as an applicant, but your strength as an applicant is really relative to your "competition." The applicant pool for my hospital ranges from mechanics (nothing wrong with that profession but it's not exactly heavy on medical education/training) to gap year pre-meds more than qualified for the academic rigors of medical school but lacking clinical experience.