Quitting Scribing After Only ~250 Hours

[The Deep]

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I've been working as a scribe since October. I originally worked remotely (~150 hours) and have gotten ~100 hours in-person. I'm currently studying for my MCAT, along with volunteering at 3 different places. Since the job is full time, it's a bit tricky balancing everything each week, especially since it's impossible to get any studying done at work (you can take lunch breaks, but you'll just most likely end up taking your work home with you because you'll fall behind). I mainly ask because this has been my only clinical experience so far. I have a hospital volunteering position, as well as a shadowing position, lined up and waiting. The job itself has been great in the sense that I'm interacting with doctors and can somewhat understand their thought process, as well as watch the "teamwork" between all the different providers. The big downside is that the job doesn't allow you to interact with patients AT ALL (it's 12 hour typing simulator), while the volunteering position will. Any suggestions?

PS: I was considering asking to be part time to help me balance everything better, but I don't think they'll allow it.

 

[Banco]

250 hrs is a good amount, focus on your MCAT, come back to scribing later if you want.

 

[Conics98]

I kinda agree with Banco but also what year are you now? Are you on the traditional 4 year undergrad + 4 year med school path or are you taking a gap year or something aka how long do you have?

Scribing is definitely something you can come back to later, but the world doesn't necessarily need to stop for you to take your MCAT. Full time positions are harder to manage during this time but try not to totally tap yourself out clinically either. If you can get part time scribing or a lowish commitment with the volunteering you mentioned I would strongly encourage that.

 

[The Deep]

I kinda agree with Banco but also what year are you now? Are you on the traditional 4 year undergrad + 4 year med school path or are you taking a gap year or something aka how long do you have?

Scribing is definitely something you can come back to later, but the world doesn't necessarily need to stop for you to take your MCAT. Full time positions are harder to manage during this time but try not to totally tap yourself out clinically either. If you can get part time scribing or a lowish commitment with the volunteering you mentioned I would strongly encourage that.

Thank you both for your responses! I'm actually on my first gap year out of the three that I plan on taking. I'm planning on spending my next 2 years out of country (hopefully from the end of this coming summer), so I won't be able to get any more in-country clinical experience. I will most likely be able to get out-of-country clinical experience. I didn't fully plan on applying to medical school until relatively recently, and most places weren't accepting new employees or volunteers, so I wasn't really able to start til recently.

So, just to reiterate, I'd probably only be able to continue gaining clinical hours til mid-late summer. For the hospital volunteering position, they have a 100 hour minimum, which I can easily squeeze into multiple shifts per week, especially after my exam. Do you guys think this'll be enough, or would it all look too rushed?

 

[The Deep]

Thank you both for your responses! I'm actually on my first gap year out of the three that I plan on taking. I'm planning on spending my next 2 years out of country (hopefully from the end of this coming summer), so I won't be able to get any more in-country clinical experience. I will most likely be able to get out-of-country clinical experience. I didn't fully plan on applying to medical school until relatively recently, and most places weren't accepting new employees or volunteers, so I wasn't really able to start til recently.

So, just to reiterate, I'd probably only be able to continue gaining clinical hours til mid-late summer. For the hospital volunteering position, they have a 100 hour minimum, which I can easily squeeze into multiple shifts per week, especially after my exam. Do you guys think this'll be enough, or would it all look too rushed?

Oh, just to add, I have no shadowing yet, so it's something I would have to squeeze in at some point. With the volunteer position, it'll definitely be easier to get both AND have more time to study+volunteer. I don't necessarily need the money from scribing right now because I've been working since freshman year of undergrad to support myself, and have a good amount saved. My MCAT date is currently mid-June.

 

[chilly_md]

Getting 100 hours over a few months and having that be your last US based clinical activity might look a bit like box checking to admissions. The scribe hours on top of it would help, but it sounds like you can’t talk much about your involvement with patient care from that for your personal statement or any secondary questions.

Be careful on the gap year plans. Check to see if your MCAT score will still be valid for the schools you plan to apply to. I believe a June 2022 score would be accepted up to matriculation of Fall 2025. So that would require an AMCAS application in Fall 2024. There might be schools that take it if you apply in 2025 but please check to be sure so you don’t severely limit your options.

 

[Conics98]

Oh, just to add, I have no shadowing yet, so it's something I would have to squeeze in at some point. With the volunteer position, it'll definitely be easier to get both AND have more time to study+volunteer. I don't necessarily need the money from scribing right now because I've been working since freshman year of undergrad to support myself, and have a good amount saved. My MCAT date is currently mid-June.

Shadowing is really really really important. People with high stats get in nowhere if they don't know if they'll like medicine, and they won't know without some shadowing. You do have scribing obviously but I think it's safer to get shadowing in there too because you're not really able to absorb info when you're typing away.

Also I can't help but feel like leaving the country for 2 years makes the timing on all of this a bit awkward. When you actually come back and apply you'll have had two years away from medical experiences in the US. What will you be doing in those two years and what general area of the world will you be in? Activities from other countries don't always fly because ultimately med school in the US is meant to teach you, well, American medicine. There are different laws allowing you to do different things in some areas of the world that would be highly illegal in the US so it's a fine line to tread.

 

[The Deep]

Shadowing is really really really important. People with high stats get in nowhere if they don't know if they'll like medicine, and they won't know without some shadowing. You do have scribing obviously but I think it's safer to get shadowing in there too because you're not really able to absorb info when you're typing away.

Also I can't help but feel like leaving the country for 2 years makes the timing on all of this a bit awkward. When you actually come back and apply you'll have had two years away from medical experiences in the US. What will you be doing in those two years and what general area of the world will you be in? Activities from other countries don't always fly because ultimately med school in the US is meant to teach you, well, American medicine. There are different laws allowing you to do different things in some areas of the world that would be highly illegal in the US so it's a fine line to tread.

I’m planning on joining the Peace Corps, and am hoping (praying) for an invitation soon. I do agree that the timing of everything will be awkward, but I plan on continuing all of my experiences until my departure. It’s more like “I couldn’t miss the opportunity to accept an invitation from the program I’ve wanted to join for years,” rather than “I just wanted to squeeze in as many hours before leaving as possible.”

 

[Conics98]

I’m planning on joining the Peace Corps, and am hoping (praying) for an invitation soon. I do agree that the timing of everything will be awkward, but I plan on continuing all of my experiences until my departure. It’s more like “I couldn’t miss the opportunity to accept an invitation from the program I’ve wanted to join for years,” rather than “I just wanted to squeeze in as many hours before leaving as possible.”

This is actually incredible!!! Never mind what I said earlier lol

So are you planning on applying at the end of gap year 2 and then spending gap year 3 for the interview season while doing your second year of peace corps?

 

[candbgirl]

If the reason you are squeezing all of this in is for the Peace Corp you will be fine. ADCOMS seem to love programs like the PC. Is the. Peace Corp accepting applications? But whatever, check on the shelf life of the MCAT. It would be sad to have a score expire.

 

[The Deep]

Yeah, the Peace Corps basically finished handing out re-invitations to people who were either evacuated or who received invitations, but never had the chance to go because of Covid. Multiple people who applied after me already received invitations, so I’m crossing my fingers.

Regarding MCAT expiration, I’d probably cry if I’m not accepted the first time around, since my MCAT will expire right after that cycle. I hate Covid..

If the reason you are squeezing all of this in is for the Peace Corp you will be fine. ADCOMS seem to love programs like the PC. Is the. Peace Corp accepting applications? But whatever, check on the shelf life of the MCAT. It would be sad to have a score expir

If the reason you are squeezing all of this in is for the Peace Corp you will be fine. ADCOMS seem to love programs like the PC. Is the. Peace Corp accepting applications? But whatever, check on the shelf life of the MCAT. It would be sad to have a score expire.

 

[The Deep]

This is actually incredible!!! Never mind what I said earlier lol

So are you planning on applying at the end of gap year 2 and then spending gap year 3 for the interview season while doing your second year of peace corps?

Exactly! I wasn’t originally planning on 3 years, but Covid did Covid things. I’m giving myself til the end of this summer to receive an invitation before moving on.

 

[Conics98]

Exactly! I wasn’t originally planning on 3 years, but Covid did Covid things. I’m giving myself til the end of this summer to receive an invitation before moving on.

Nono I mean let's assume you get into the Peace Corps and you spend gap years 2 and 3 doing that. Does that mean you apply for medical school at the end of #2/beginning of #3? Or will you apply after you get home? I assume the former because doing the latter means you'd take a 4th gap year, which doesn't line up with what you said earlier in the thread about wanting to take only 3 total.

If you did mean the latter, then you'd definitely want to stay busy with scribing and volunteering in your 4th gap year. Heck you could even become a campus recruiter for the Peace Corps if that's something they'd allow you to do. But in a nutshell, it would probably mean you want to keep all those connections fresh for yourself for when you come back to the US and go about the app cycle.

 

[The Deep]

Nono I mean let's assume you get into the Peace Corps and you spend gap years 2 and 3 doing that. Does that mean you apply for medical school at the end of #2/beginning of #3? Or will you apply after you get home? I assume the former because doing the latter means you'd take a 4th gap year, which doesn't line up with what you said earlier in the thread about wanting to take only 3 total.

If you did mean the latter, then you'd definitely want to stay busy with scribing and volunteering in your 4th gap year. Heck you could even become a campus recruiter for the Peace Corps if that's something they'd allow you to do. But in a nutshell, it would probably mean you want to keep all those connections fresh for yourself for when you come back to the US and go about the app cycle.

Ah, ok. Yes, my current plan is to apply at the end of next year, which will be during my second gap year. I actually just received an invite to serve earlier today!

 

[Conics98]

Ah, ok. Yes, my current plan is to apply at the end of next year, which will be during my second gap year. I actually just received an invite to serve earlier today!

CONGRAAAAATS!!!!!