Scribe in ED?

[Confusedandamused]

I recently got a job offer from scribeamerica and I just get really bad vibes from them, so idk if I should continue w them. I was thinking maybe to be a student worker instead since I've applied to mostly all scribe job openings and only scribeamerica contacted me. I just started volunteering as an interpreter in a free clinic so I will have decent amount of clinical experience once I apply. Should I just get a job at my school?

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[Tenk]

Scribing in an ED will get you clinical knowledge, connections, and lots and lots of stories. It really can’t be beat for an undergrad. We use scribeamerica at my site and my scribes are all pretty happy. Obviously that will probably be more dependent on the ED and less so with scribeamerica.

 

[Calizboosted76]

Scribing is such a good opportunity for a premed to really make connections and see what it’s like. I have made so many friends with physicians it’s unreal (I don’t mean just work friends, we go golfing, fishing, boating, etc.) I have accumulated an abundance of LORs and the stories and experience that i am going to be able to talk about in an interview will be limitless. I say stick with the scribe job.

 

[catnip12]

I loved my scribing job. Did it for 2 years at a a very busy community ED and I cherished it. I could give you a whole spiel, but the bottom line would be the same for me; that I absolutely loved it, learnt so much from it, and would do it again.

 

[pinkowl250]

I loved being a scribe too! Definitely try it out and see if it's for you. I learned so much from working in the ED and was actually kinda sad when I had to quit to start medical school. Made some great friends and even got invited to a lot of events with the physicians. Obviously your experience will be site specific, but I would encourage you to try it 🙂

 

[Confusedandamused]

Thank you all for your input!

 

[keanureaves]

I agree with all the above posters. I have however been lucky to scribe in private practice as well, exclusively with one physician. I would say the private practice experience is superior as far as less boring data entry/monthly tasks (I was chief/trainer at my site) and the fact that I now work with one physician exclusively which I anticipate will give me a far more thorough and credible LOR. I also get paid a livable wage despite less on-paper responsibility. Overall it's given me pretty good insight regarding the daily life of a physician, how they deal with good/bad days, good/bad patients, family life, and medical decision making process. I did connect with this physician through ScribeAmerica however so maybe should've lead with that. I did value the training infrastructure ScribeAmerica had, they do have an abundance of resources.

 

[Alexander Brosef]

I would recommend going for it. Scribing in the ED gives you a lot of great clinical experience and you get to see things from multiple specialties. It looks great on a Med School app.

 

[Calizboosted76]

@Dr. Scribe

 

[Confusedandamused]

Would you guys recommend scribing part time while studying for the MCAT and doing other ECs?

 

[Planes2Doc]

I'm going to be the party pooper here and say not to do it. You can volunteer in an ED once weekly for 4 hours and then spend all that time you would have spent scribing for studying. It's a really big commitment.

 

[Calizboosted76]

Would you guys recommend scribing part time while studying for the MCAT and doing other ECs?

That’s what I have been doing. Scribing 2 days a week. I even study at work when we’re slow.

 

[Calizboosted76]

I'm going to be the party pooper here and say not to do it. You can volunteer in an ED once weekly for 4 hours and then spend all that time you would have spent scribing for studying. It's a really big commitment.

But if OP has to have a job for minuscule bills. Scribing would be the best option.

 

[pinkowl250]

Would you guys recommend scribing part time while studying for the MCAT and doing other ECs?

Yes, I did this exact thing last year. But just as an FYI, I would not recommend full time. You'll likely have a lot of overnight shifts and it's just overall not conducive to MCAT studying (since that should be treated like a second job)

 

[Calizboosted76]

Yes, I did this exact thing last year. But just as an FYI, I would not recommend full time. You'll likely have a lot of overnight shifts and it's just overall not conducive to MCAT studying (since that should be treated like a second job)

Sounds like you work for the same company I do

 

[Dream of the Endless]

Pros:
Clinical experience without any form of certification necessary. (Major pro for me cause they classes/exams can be pricey.)
Shadowing so completely pales in comparison, it's laughable. (I have 2000+ED hours vs. my 100 hours shadowing. No comparison)
I'm no expert, but I have a decent idea about how to read more obvious RAD scans, understand clinical thought process that goes into decisions about care etc.
ED scribing = super flexible since it's open all day, PAID shadowing.
Get scribing experience so you can transition to a better paying scribe role outpatient which typically require 1-2 years of experience. (I make 16/hr)
Major connections and LORs (I got a link to shadow someone I would never have access to otherwise)

Cons:
Time consuming and for many it is their first job.
There is a large learning curve at first which unfortunately causes many to quit within the first few months.
You will likely be required to work a holiday. You're given some flexibility to choose, but -someone- has to work Christmas/New Years etc. Upside is there is holiday pay.
Pay is very low starting off (10/hr)
For the more arrogant you are the absolute bottom of the totem pole and some medical personnel working there will make you feel that from time to time.
You will be required to work a certain amount of nights unless you have enough dedicated night scribes (rare, they usually quit. Them 8p-6a shifts are killer for morning folk)

I'd say it is possible to scribe, go to school and study for the MCAT. I did it, and I scored well. Though everyone handles stress differently, so I can't speak for you. Working and studying is a hustle and you will have very little free time. Whatever your choice, best of luck!

 

[Confusedandamused]

I think I might just continue w training for the scribe job, but the MCAT is my 1st priority. I just feel overwhelmed with the training of being a scribe and studying for the MCAT. Did any of you start training while studying for the MCAT? Or did you already have experience scribing?

 

[Calizboosted76]

Pros:
Clinical experience without any form of certification necessary. (Major pro for me cause they classes/exams can be pricey.)
Shadowing so completely pales in comparison, it's laughable. (I have 2000+ED hours vs. my 100 hours shadowing. No comparison)
I'm no expert, but I have a decent idea about how to read RAD scans, understand clinical thought process that goes into decisions about care etc.
ED scribing = super flexible since it's open all day, PAID shadowing.
Get scribing experience so you can transition to a better paying scribe role outpatient which typically require 1-2 years of experience. (I make 16/hr)
Major connections and LORs (I got a link to shadow someone I would never have access to otherwise)

Cons:
Time consuming and for many it is their first job.
There is a large learning curve at first which unfortunately causes many to quit within the first few months.
You will likely be required to work a holiday. You're given some flexibility to choose, but -someone- has to work Christmas/New Years etc. Upside is there is holiday pay.
Pay is very low starting off (10/hr)
For the more arrogant you are the absolute bottom of the totem pole and some medical personnel working there will make you feel that from time to time.
You will be required to work a certain amount of nights unless you have enough dedicated night scribes (rare, they usually quit. Them 8p-6a shifts are killer for morning folk)

I'd say it is possible to scribe, go to school and study for the MCAT. I did it, and I scored well. Though everyone handles stress differently, so I can't speak for you. Working and studying is a hustle and you will have very little free time. Whatever your choice, best of luck!

I think some of you’re cons are location dependent. The company i work for starts the scribes our at $13 an hour with a dollar raise every year and if you decide to be one of the suckers who work overnight you get an extra dollar an hour. The stigma behind being made to feel at the bottom of the totem pole is not relevant at my hospitals either. The doctors I work with are some of my closest friends and they make sure everyone treats the scribes with the utmost respect. (A doctor was rude to a couple scribes and was fired over it.)

 

[Calizboosted76]

I think I might just continue w training for the scribe job, but the MCAT is my 1st priority. I just feel overwhelmed with the training of being a scribe and studying for the MCAT. Did any of you start training while studying for the MCAT? Or did you already have experience scribing?

I started to train while studying. The training aspect sucked depending on what interface your company uses. We use T systems. It is a lot to learn and be able to be quick and efficient after it. But after the required like 8 training shifts you will go on your first solo shift it honestly gets easier once you’re by yourself. You become more comfortable and can derive you’re own method to making sure your clinics summary is up to par. Don’t quit. It’s an amazing job.

 

[Dream of the Endless]

doctor was rude to a couple scribes and was fired over it.)

Wow, I heard that was a possibility but never have I ever heard of a verified account of it. We've had a doctor throw written charts at a scribe and I'm not sure what the outcome of that was. Also heard at my campus of a doctor talking down to a scribe to the point that she cried and later quit. These doctors have a reputation, so to speak. As far as I've heard, the threat was for them to lose access to scribes instead of their job. (Both were still employed and had scribes when I left)

Also, please take note, I said medical personnel btw. Not necessarily pointing fingers at doctors. But definitely could be site specific. I worked at 3.5 hospitals in the ED. 1 ED, transferred to another when I moved which had us working at 2 small EDs concurrently. Then later we floated out to a standalone ED until it was properly staffed (.5). Pretty standard across the board. I worked as a night scribe for almost a full year. There was no night differential even though I put the idea forward.

scribes our at $13 an hour with a dollar raise every year and if you decide to be one of the suckers who work overnight you get an extra dollar an hour

Man I worked in the wrong state if you're also at Scribeamerica! We were offered 25 cent raises for completing CME training which came quarterly and wasn't always approved. They also did "performance reviews" in conjunction for consideration of the raise. Versus now outpatient the 1$ raise yearly is gauranteed if you aren't fired lmao.

I'm just prepping them for the worst case scenario. If the job was easy and everyone felt respected all of the time, it probably wouldn't have such a high turnover rate.

I think I might just continue w training for the scribe job, but the MCAT is my 1st priority. I just feel overwhelmed with the training of being a scribe and studying for the MCAT. Did any of you start training while studying for the MCAT? Or did you already have experience scribing?

I was already working a long time when I started MCAT studying. That learning curve can make your life difficult at first, but you get used to it.

 

[Calizboosted76]

Wow, I heard that was a possibility but never have I ever heard of a verified account of it. We've had a doctor throw written charts at a scribe and I'm not sure what the outcome of that was. Also heard at my campus of a doctor talking down to a scribe to the point that she cried and later quit. These doctors have a reputation, so to speak. As far as I've heard, the threat was for them to lose access to scribes instead of their job. (Both were still employed and had scribes when I left)

Also, please take note, I said medical personnel btw. Not necessarily pointing fingers at doctors. But definitely could be site specific. I worked at 3.5 hospitals in the ED. 1 ED, transferred to another when I moved which had us working at 2 small EDs concurrently. Then later we floated out to a standalone ED until it was properly staffed (.5). Pretty standard across the board. I worked as a night scribe for almost a full year. There was no night differential even though I put the idea forward.



Man I worked in the wrong state if you're also at Scribeamerica! We were offered 25 cent raises for completing CME training which came quarterly and wasn't always approved. They also did "performance reviews" in conjunction for consideration of the raise. Versus now outpatient the 1$ raise yearly is gauranteed if you aren't fired lmao.

I'm just prepping them for the worst case scenario. If the job was easy and everyone felt respected all of the time, it probably wouldn't have such a high turnover rate.



I was already working a long time when I started MCAT studying. That learning curve can make your life difficult at first, but you get used to it.

No I’m actually with a subcontracted company to 4 EDs in Florida. I get that your prepping them for the worst and I commend you for that. Just wanted them to know there are good aspects as well haha!

 

[Calizboosted76]

Wow, I heard that was a possibility but never have I ever heard of a verified account of it. We've had a doctor throw written charts at a scribe and I'm not sure what the outcome of that was. Also heard at my campus of a doctor talking down to a scribe to the point that she cried and later quit. These doctors have a reputation, so to speak. As far as I've heard, the threat was for them to lose access to scribes instead of their job. (Both were still employed and had scribes when I left)

Also, please take note, I said medical personnel btw. Not necessarily pointing fingers at doctors. But definitely could be site specific. I worked at 3.5 hospitals in the ED. 1 ED, transferred to another when I moved which had us working at 2 small EDs concurrently. Then later we floated out to a standalone ED until it was properly staffed (.5). Pretty standard across the board. I worked as a night scribe for almost a full year. There was no night differential even though I put the idea forward.



Man I worked in the wrong state if you're also at Scribeamerica! We were offered 25 cent raises for completing CME training which came quarterly and wasn't always approved. They also did "performance reviews" in conjunction for consideration of the raise. Versus now outpatient the 1$ raise yearly is gauranteed if you aren't fired lmao.

I'm just prepping them for the worst case scenario. If the job was easy and everyone felt respected all of the time, it probably wouldn't have such a high turnover rate.



I was already working a long time when I started MCAT studying. That learning curve can make your life difficult at first, but you get used to it.

$0.25 LOL ef that. That’s ridiculous.

 

[acslater99]

Great experience for the traditional students during undergrad. Horrible for non-traditional students who have families they need to take care of. The pay is just too low.