Scribe without Shadowing Experience

[rewind100.24]

I am currently an ED scribe and plan on having at least 1000 hours of scribing completed before the end of the summer. Since this job is essentially shadowing+, how necessary is it to have other shadowing listed on the AMCAS application?

I plan to scribe before actually attending school, but I am unsure if I really have the time/should dedicate the time to shadowing another physician before applying this June.

How much of a detriment is it for a scribe to not have other shadowing activities before applying?

Thanks!

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[Keight]

I have been a medical scribe for the past three years and have worked in both the ED and a family practice. By the time I applied this past year, I had 2000+ hours of scribing and 0 hours of shadowing (I still haven't even shadowed). I was accepted to one of my state MD schools, a DO school, and was waitlisted at another MD school. While I can't for certain say whether not having any shadowing hours is bad for an application, I personally do not feel like it was a detriment to my acceptances. During my interviews, I had plenty of clinical experience to talk about and always referred to scribing as "active shadowing." If not having shadowing on your application is something that you think you may regret down the road, go ahead and do it now no matter whether it would really hurt your application. The rejection throughout the application process is hard enough even without the doubt of thinking that you could have done something simple to improve your chances.

 

[scribeguy11]

I was told by adcom of UAB that formal shadowing is still recommended along with scribe experience.

 

[statlin98]

The notion that scribing should not count as shadowing is extremely frustrating. Anyone who has ever scribed knows it's essentially shadowing on steroids. I really think the notion comes from a lack of awareness on what scribes really do.

 

[robojobo]

If you're scribing in one setting it could be a problem. Go shadow a PCP for like 30 hours, you can do like 4 hours a week for the summer and that'll be fine


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[deleted446889]

I have been a medical scribe for the past three years and have worked in both the ED and a family practice. By the time I applied this past year, I had 2000+ hours of scribing and 0 hours of shadowing (I still haven't even shadowed). I was accepted to one of my state MD schools, a DO school, and was waitlisted at another MD school. While I can't for certain say whether not having any shadowing hours is bad for an application, I personally do not feel like it was a detriment to my acceptances. During my interviews, I had plenty of clinical experience to talk about and always referred to scribing as "active shadowing." If not having shadowing on your application is something that you think you may regret down the road, go ahead and do it now no matter whether it would really hurt your application. The rejection throughout the application process is hard enough even without the doubt of thinking that you could have done something simple to improve your chances.

What were your stats if you don't mind my asking?

 

[Keight]

What were your stats if you don't mind my asking?

My LizzyM is ~70 (GPA 3.95 and MCAT 30).

Like someone mentioned above, I think it would be a good idea to shadow in another field if you will only be working in the ED. I got the chance to scribe in both emergency and family practice, so I got to experience a wider subset of medicine. People on SDN are always talking about the importance of shadowing PCP's and it wouldn't hurt your application in the long run.

 

[wb100]

I'm in the same boat. Have 3000+ scribing hours but I would agree that doing some shadowing won't hurt. I'll have around 100 by the time I apply but anything more is excessive because of our exposure as scribes. For me scribing didn't allow me to learn at times because we would be so busy... my priority was to complete the EMR. Shadowing felt more one on one with patients and the physician. There was no urgency in completing charts which allowed me to just focus on learning.

My ED was really packed and we saw 30+ patients in a shift. This might vary at other hospitals. Just my 2 cents.


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[rewind100.24]

I would really love to shadow a family practice doc, but I really don't have any long periods of free time with my job scribing. How would most physicians feel about 4 hour chunks of shadowing spread throughout a month?

 

[Dr. Cheddar]

I had a similar situation to what Keight shared above. I had 1000+ scribing hours by the time I applied (ED only though) and not once did I do any other shadowing. I was able to get multiple MD acceptances and only once did I perceive a problem with this. One interviewer asked me where my shadowing was and I tried to explain what scribing was and that I had done this for a year and a half. He seemed to balk at this answer and this ended up being the only school that I was rejected at post-II. I do think most of the problems with scribing being viewed as inadequate arise from what another poster above said about some not really knowing what scribes do and how involved we are.

 

[Shaq]

I honestly don't think having a clinical shadowing experience beyond the 1000+ hours of scribing adds any value to any of your medical school applications. Your efforts are better spent trying to get as high an MCAT score as possible. If any of you are early in the process, try pursuing experiences that add meaning and value to your life, rather than trying to do things that might "impress" a medical school ADCOM. Find out what you like doing, that is productive, and then go do it well.

To be clear - even 1000 hours of scribing might be a bit excessive. At that point you've clearly hit a threshold sufficient for an ADCOM to "check the box" on clinical experiences.

 

[hopeful25678]

I am currently an ED scribe and plan on having at least 1000 hours of scribing completed before the end of the summer. Since this job is essentially shadowing+, how necessary is it to have other shadowing listed on the AMCAS application?

I plan to scribe before actually attending school, but I am unsure if I really have the time/should dedicate the time to shadowing another physician before applying this June.

How much of a detriment is it for a scribe to not have other shadowing activities before applying?

Thanks!

I'm a scribe too! You get a great experience, but I think to shadow a few different specialties is great too. I am a research aide at a multidisciplinary clinic which deals with a neurodegenerative disease. This has allowed me to see all sorts of specialties from Neurology to Urology, to Family medicine and PT! I would contact a local hospital and see if they have volunteer positions like this. I originally started by emailing the program coordinator as a volunteer and now I work for them 6 hours a week, and it is well worth it! Or you could ask your supervisor at the clinic you work at to see if they know if you could shadow anyone else in the clinic!

 

[aspiringmd94]

I had probably 1000 hours as an ED scribe and 100 hours total volunteering split between an ED and Shock Trauma Center. I also started working as a Medical Assistant at a Primary Care office around the same time I submitted my AMCAS. I only had about 30 hours of real "shadowing" experience on my application. I got 3 MD acceptances and 4 more MD waitlists. I don't think my application was hindered at all by my lack of real shadowing experience.

 

[kay815]

I scribed in 3 different settings (ED and two OP clinics) and had maybe <30 hours of shadowing (mostly surgical, and one speciality). So... I don't think shadowing is crucial if you're a scribe, but it certainly doesn't hurt, and to echo what others have said it likely did not hurt me much as I scribed in multiple settings.