Need some advice regarding my job.

[577455]

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So I got a job last year as an Emergency Medical Scribe. The job is geared towards pre-med students and is pretty competitive to get. You make a two year verbal commitment when hired. You basically follow the doctor around and do all his charting, update him to important lab or imaging results, and keep him organized throughout the shift. A few months into job, I decided that although I'd be capable of doing the work, I didn't want the lifestyle of a physician. The inconsistent hours, constant shortage of sleep, pressure from re-occurring exams and tests, are stressors that I don't want to deal with for the rest of my life.
With that said, I re-examined my interest in dentistry. With further research and discussions with physicians and dentists, I've committed to goal of becoming a dentist. I've ordered the Kaplan DAT book (and will order other books) and I want to take the DAT in 3 months. I am a Human Biology senior, and my final two semesters are very time consuming. No matter how I manage my time, I can't seem to find enough to study for the DAT, study for my classes, and work at the hospital. I have an okay GPA: 3.6 and do well in sciences (4.0 biochem, orgo1&2, pharmacology, microbiology and more). I don't want my grades to drop senior year. I think that it's time I have to give up working, but I need input before I make a move.

In regards to quitting I'm hesitant because:
1. I made a two year commitment.
2. I was going to ask one of the doctors for a letter of recommendation.
3. The program is currently short staffed and needs my help.
4. It was very competitive to get the position and I don't want to just throw it away.
5. Becoming competent at this job was very hard and stressful, often involving a few scoldings from the Docs.
4. Money.

Thanks guys.

 

[cubaton]

Ok I don't see why u need to take the DAT asap. If you are taking the DAT in 3 months why not next Summer? I mean, the next application cycle opens on June 2015, so if classes end in May u can take your DAT late June or July. Btw and make sure u read the LOR the doctors are going to write for you because I don't consider it necessary since u can submit only 4 and some schools require 3 science letters or 2 science and 1 liberal arts letter. Most of the schools recommend a letter from the dentist u shadowed as well. So, I'd recommend thinking of your job as a "job" and shadow and do dental related stuff . Also, if I were you I wouldn't mention that u were a pre-med in your app since that's something that only concerns to you, but I know there are different opinions regarding that in this site. I would recommend to stay at your current job ($$) and take the DAT June-July next year. I'm sure u will receive multiple interview invites! Good luck!!!

 

[577455]

I see your point in not rushing the DAT. I think I just want to get it over with. The only other thing that my application is missing is shadowing experience. I might have to quit my job anyways to find time to shadow. But it's really hard to say goodbye to the money!

 

[robblob22]

I'd do whatever you can to not quit your job. The scribe program can be a considerable part of your application and I'm sure you can use it as a asset to make you stand out. For shadowing, I've found myself in a similar situation because I work full time. Do whatever you can to get in with dentist(s) that may be open later or on weekends. This can really be challenging for some locations, but all it takes is ~3 hrs a week and you're at 100 hrs by June 2015. If you take the DAT in 4 months (plenty of time to study) , there's no saying you can't retake prior to applying (especially with all that extra work money...)

 

[577455]

How do you guys feel about letters of recommendation from a physician? I don't want to send mixed signals.

 

[2THDDS]

Like the other posted mentioned, you should try to keep your job and squeeze in a few hours of shadowing every week and you should have plenty by the time you apply.

Scribe position in and of itself is pretty significant, whether or not you are applying to med school. Ive seen some predents do it and i havent heard of any stories where a student was disadvantaged by having a scribe job.

Id not mention about premed to predent conversion unless you are 100 confident you can sell them your story as legit.

 

[577455]

I've been working as a scribe for at least 1 year. Isn't that long enough to justify putting it in my application and discussing it during interviews?

 

[CraigHack]

If you are all in on the dentistry route, then this job doesn't sound like it's adding a whole lot to your application. That's what I can gather from the information you've provided. That being said, since you made a commitment, you should see it through, barring any significant barriers. I would broach the issue with the staff manager, and lay everything out on the table. Something along the lines of, "I've given it a lot of thought, and I am going to pursue dental school after I graduate. I made a commitment to you guys, so I am not going anywhere. However, this opportunity is not going to add a whole lot to my application, so if you find an applicant for this position that you would be comfortable turning things over to, I think it would work out better for everyone involved." Just reiterate that you're going to take the job seriously for as long as they keep you on. If it's as competitive as you have described, they shouldn't have any problem finding another highly qualified applicant.

However, if there's any chance of you switching back into the medical track, then you should keep the job for the experience. On a final note, the timing you've presented in your post seems odd. It sounds like you're headed into your senior year, but you made a two-year commitment to these folks. At any rate, it's not an easy decision, and I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[577455]

Right, its a very tough decision. If I do decide to keep this job, it's going to be a difficult year with studying for class, DAT, shadowing, and working. I also understand that quiting this job means permantly shutting the door to medicine. I think I'm going to hold on for as long as I can. Thank for everyone's input.

 

[herkulis]

How about going for the happy medium of working only part-time? Good luck!