Need help deciding. Scribe at an outpatient clinic, or an ER?

[rjsv19]

Hello all,

I have been offered two positions as a medical scribe at two different settings. One is an outpatient clinic with mainly primary care physicians and other various specialties. The other is an ER at a nearby hospital.

I'd like some input into what would be the best opportunity to get the most exposure to different things in medicine. Thanks guys!

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[BenignBeignet]

I used to scribe a little bit, and I also work with many Scribes. I don't think I need to talk about why scribing is good, I'm sure you're well aware. So it comes down to a few things: do you know what you're interested in (If you don't like ED don't just do ED because you think it'll look better)? How's your work pace (can you handle being in a busy Emergency Department, with a short amount of time to complete a lot of charts on a lot of patients)?
I personally believe the better experience will be ED. You're going to get experience charting in terms of prescriptions, referrals, and immediate treatment of illnesses (which you'll get in a Primary Care setting), as well as seeing a huge variety of presentations from all kinds of different people, including charting of critical patients, as well as understanding ED flow and hospital flow.

 

[CharlieBillings]

I've done both. ER is a better experience. You see a larger variety, and get to talk with the doctors more.

 

[QowsEatDumlogic]

I do primary care scribing and I like it. Constant stream of patients all day, never too boring but never too crazy, and I never work weekends, evenings, or nights. I get to observe how the physician develops relationships with the patients over time and see concerns regarding every body system. It depends on what you like, though.

 

[ortnakas]

The one that pays more.

 

[scrubbub]

I was offered a scribe position in the ED with no idea that I would enjoy the ED atmosphere - this has fueled my entire interest in emergency medicine. Of course, every experience is different, but having now also scribed at a clinic, my personal experience is that the physicians I am working with in clinic are much less willing to teach, or even discuss patients. In the ED, providers seem excited to teach me whatever they can, and I feel much more like a part of the team. I was completely unsure about how I would do in a chaotic atmosphere, or with trauma, or even with long shifts - but having exposure to that is important before med school, and I'm glad to know now what my strengths and weaknesses are and to be able to build on them. Also, in the ED I am working with over 130 providers who rotate through - so every shift, I am getting to know someone new, a different exam, new terminology, a different perspective. In the clinic, I work with two physicians. Not that I don't like working with them, but being able to see many different perspectives is great - even just being able to ask each of them (during downtime, if there is any), "What was your education path/med school experience/how did you get to where you are now/do you have any advice?" is SUPER helpful!