Medical Scribe on off year?

[Ohsnap23]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey everyone,

I'm on a gap year right now. I was told to get some paid dental experience if possible, however I am having trouble with that. So as an alternative I was seeing if becoming a medical scribe would be looked at as a negative or positive? I would also volunteer/shadow on the side if i could. I have 300+ hours volunteering. So do you all believe this would be an okay alternative? Seeing as I would be exposed to patient contact, medical records, and in general being in a medical environment. Thanks in advance.

 

[thenextcarnegie]

I would avoid it. It is hospital-based but not dental related. Unless you get to work or help out in a GPR. Scribing may show that you are flipflopping between the two careers (medicine v dentistry). Most places won't pay you. I'd maybe look into working at a dental lab maybe?

 

[Jlm50]

I would avoid it. It is hospital-based but not dental related. Unless you get to work or help out in a GPR. Scribing may show that you are flipflopping between the two careers (medicine v dentistry). Most places won't pay you. I'd maybe look into working at a dental lab maybe?

I second getting into a dental lab. I interned at one and had I had more time between then and graduating, I would have applied for a job. I was watching a dental student vlog and she was practicing making dentures, and I knew everything she was doing because of my internship.

 

[Ohsnap23]

I would avoid it. It is hospital-based but not dental related. Unless you get to work or help out in a GPR. Scribing may show that you are flipflopping between the two careers (medicine v dentistry). Most places won't pay you. I'd maybe look into working at a dental lab maybe?

Yes that is what I was worried about, that it would look like I’m flip-flopping. I am a reapplicant and for sure isn’t the case, I have def tried looking at labs but they often require experience...which is frustrating.

 

[Ohsnap23]

I second getting into a dental lab. I interned at one and had I had more time between then and graduating, I would have applied for a job. I was watching a dental student vlog and she was practicing making dentures, and I knew everything she was doing because of my internship.

Oh that’s pretty neat! Did that lab take people that had no experience? I’m not in a college/university city that would present opportunities like that. I would take a lab tech job in a heartbeat haha.

 

[Jlm50]

Oh that’s pretty neat! Did that lab take people that had no experience? I’m not in a college/university city that would present opportunities like that. I would take a lab tech job in a heartbeat haha.

Yeah, I had zero experience. My friend was a dental assistant and she mentioned this lab she uses and the owner of the lab and myself have the same last name so I emailed him and was like "hey, can I intern blah blah blah" and I was there for almost a year. I only needed to intern for 4 months but I loved it and I was free labor for them.

Edit: maybe you can get your foot into a lab by interning for a little bit with them and then get hired. Its definitely a learning curve

 

[thenextcarnegie]

Just ask to watch, help out, intern for free. You'll get paid once you learn the job more.

 

[Typical Average Student]

Any type of experience is never bad experience. Doing something out of the ordinary is good too. I was a scribe for a year and I feel that it made me stand out a lot more than everyone else who was a DA. Also, I felt being a scribe gave me a huge leg up when doing case studies and filling out medical records exposure in clinic.