Scribe...?

[sjcha]

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Hi All,

I am a recent graduate (2016 woohoo!) and have decided to apply to DO schools in June 2017. I was previously pre-PT, but switched to pre-med 5 months before graduation. I have decent ECs (most being PT and leadership experience) and I am currently working part-time at a PT clinic. I would like to have physician-patient exposure, so I applied to 4 different companies: PhysAssist, ProScribe, Scribe America, and Scribe-Northwest. I went ahead and searched for reviews online for each company. It doesn't seem to be great; each company got 2.8-3.2 out of 5, but I am assuming this is because of the low pay. At the moment, I am more interested in the experience, rather than pay (although the pay would be nice 😀).

So far, I have received interviews at all of the companies listed above, except Scribe America.

With that being said, is there a certain company that you would choose over the others? Or would you recommend/avoid one? Feel free to share your experiences as well, if you have/are scribing!

I am currently living in the Seattle, WA area.

Thank you! 🙂

 

[kelminak]

I think they're all going to be roughly the same. Everyone rates them lowly because the pay is abysmal. What are your overall stats and ECs so far? A lot of scribe companies ask for a two year commitment, but I don't know how they could stop you from leaving either.

 

[sjcha]

I think they're all going to be roughly the same. Everyone rates them lowly because the pay is abysmal. What are your overall stats and ECs so far? A lot of scribe companies ask for a two year commitment, but I don't know how they could stop you from leaving either.

I thought that was the main reason. Also, a lot of people seem to dislike the fact that they have to do 12 hour graveyard shifts, especially with the low pay.. On the applications, the companies asked for commitment length, so I put 1+ year.

Here's a thread that I posted about 2 months ago with my stats!
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/what-are-my-chances.1206646/#post-18079496

 

[kelminak]

I thought that was the main reason. Also, a lot of people seem to dislike the fact that they have to do 12 hour graveyard shifts, especially with the low pay.. On the applications, the companies asked for commitment length, so I put 1+ year.

Here's a thread that I posted about 2 months ago with my stats!
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/what-are-my-chances.1206646/#post-18079496

Ok yeah it does look like you're needing some physician exposure because as of now I would bet that adcoms are going to wonder why you aren't applying to be a PT instead. Did you ever get shadowing done? Did you end up taking the MCAT over the summer?

 

[sjcha]

Ok yeah it does look like you're needing some physician exposure because as of now I would bet that adcoms are going to wonder why you aren't applying to be a PT instead. Did you ever get shadowing done? Did you end up taking the MCAT over the summer?

Probably a con of switching from PT to med my last year of college 😛. I haven't shadowed a physician while working, but I have talked to at least 5 different ones. I guess it was more like an informational interview. The student I worked with that had 3 TBIs actually has a father that is an orthopedic surgeon, so I've been in contact with him for about 2 years now. I'm planning on taking the MCAT in April! I would like to get Biochem done and then have at least 3 months to study for the brutal test..

 

[AlwaysSunnyDO]

I worked for both ScribeAmerica and Physassist and will say that I like Physassist better overall due to their organization, but both are pretty similar. Great experience with any company though!! I didn't have much contact with physicians prior to becoming a scribe and I feel like it played a huge role in me getting into school last cycle

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[sjcha]

I worked for both ScribeAmerica and Physassist and will say that I like Physassist better overall due to their organization, but both are pretty similar. Great experience with any company though!! I didn't have much contact with physicians prior to becoming a scribe and I feel like it played a huge role in me getting into school last cycle

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Thanks for your insight!! You know what's interesting is that I read online that PhysAssist doesn't have any organization at all haha. I'm starting to believe that all of these big companies are relatively the same. Right now, my mindset is experience > pay, so I am fully aware that being a scribe isn't going to rake in $$$ but I'm fine with that! How long did you work for both companies? And do you mind sharing your stats?

 

[Fluffy123]

I have worked with PhysAssist for 6 months now and it has been pretty organized. you are right that the pay is garbage but experience > pay.

 

[Ateleryx]

I have been with ScribeAmerica for a while now. The organization of the company itself is not the greatest, but as a starting scribe you really don't have to deal with anyone except a specific location's chief scribe for the most part. Each site is different as well and your experience will almost entirely depend on the specific location you are chosen for. I work at multiple locations and can honestly say they are 100% different, but either way scribing is an awesome teaching experience and what the job lacks in pay is made up in experience, connections with physicians, and knowledge gained. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions or anything!

 

[AlwaysSunnyDO]

Thanks for your insight!! You know what's interesting is that I read online that PhysAssist doesn't have any organization at all haha. I'm starting to believe that all of these big companies are relatively the same. Right now, my mindset is experience > pay, so I am fully aware that being a scribe isn't going to rake in $$$ but I'm fine with that! How long did you work for both companies? And do you mind sharing your stats?

I worked with ScribeAmerica for about 1 year and with Phyassists for about a year too.

My stats were mediocre but it worked out haha. 3.5 cgpa 3.3 sgpa 26 MCAT

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[Rekt]

Look for private gigs. I worked for a private practice EM group for several years and they hired scribes themselves. Had decent-ish pay, more flexibility in hours and actually had lots of benefits.

 

[sjcha]

I have worked with PhysAssist for 6 months now and it has been pretty organized. you are right that the pay is garbage but experience > pay.

I'm getting the impression that you would recommend PhysAssist? Are you working a lot of graveyard shifts and is it a pain to get the schedule you like?

 

[sjcha]

I have been with ScribeAmerica for a while now. The organization of the company itself is not the greatest, but as a starting scribe you really don't have to deal with anyone except a specific location's chief scribe for the most part. Each site is different as well and your experience will almost entirely depend on the specific location you are chosen for. I work at multiple locations and can honestly say they are 100% different, but either way scribing is an awesome teaching experience and what the job lacks in pay is made up in experience, connections with physicians, and knowledge gained. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions or anything!

Thank you for your insight! Scribe America is the only one that I haven't heard back from, but I hear that they can take a few weeks. It seems like scribing all depends on what you put in and also the people that you have to work with. Everything else is basically the same. Would you agree with that from your experience?

 

[sjcha]

I worked with ScribeAmerica for about 1 year and with Phyassists for about a year too.

My stats were mediocre but it worked out haha. 3.5 cgpa 3.3 sgpa 26 MCAT

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using SDN mobile

Your stats are better than mine 😛. Hey, if you got into school then it doesn't matter if you had "mediocre" stats. Congrats!

 

[sjcha]

Look for private gigs. I worked for a private practice EM group for several years and they hired scribes themselves. Had decent-ish pay, more flexibility in hours and actually had lots of benefits.

I'm not sure if there are private gigs in my area haha. I did mention that I lived in the Seattle area, but I am actually south about 40 miles. I tried Googling private EM groups, but came up with nothing. Would you recommend still searching even if it takes a few months, rather than getting started with another company right away?

 

[Rekt]

I'm not sure if there are private gigs in my area haha. I did mention that I lived in the Seattle area, but I am actually south about 40 miles. I tried Googling private EM groups, but came up with nothing. Would you recommend still searching even if it takes a few months, rather than getting started with another company right away?

Start with a national company to get some experience and keep looking in the meantime. I don't really know how you'd find them to be honest. I met someone in class who was a scribe in the particular program. I imagine the use of national scribe agencies is on the rise because they pay terribly and don't care about you, which in turn means less cost to the physicians or hospital depending on the set up.

 

[Fluffy123]

I'm getting the impression that you would recommend PhysAssist? Are you working a lot of graveyard shifts and is it a pain to get the schedule you like?

It is the only one I have worked with but yeah I would recommend them. Like a previous post, what you get out is equal to what you put in. I personally love going to work and the doctors I work with are amazing. It is funny you ask about the graveyard thing because I just started day 8/8 of midnight shifts but I scheduled myself like that and picked up a few extra shifts. It is really easy to get the schedule I want here but you're area may be different. It depends on what your schedule looks like. I start school in a few days and my scheduler did a really good job of making my schedule. The key is to not be too unreasonable with your schedule and they will do the same.

 

[Papa Oso]

Hi All,

I am a recent graduate (2016 woohoo!) and have decided to apply to DO schools in June 2017. I was previously pre-PT, but switched to pre-med 5 months before graduation. I have decent ECs (most being PT and leadership experience) and I am currently working part-time at a PT clinic. I would like to have physician-patient exposure, so I applied to 4 different companies: PhysAssist, ProScribe, Scribe America, and Scribe-Northwest. I went ahead and searched for reviews online for each company. It doesn't seem to be great; each company got 2.8-3.2 out of 5, but I am assuming this is because of the low pay. At the moment, I am more interested in the experience, rather than pay (although the pay would be nice 😀).

So far, I have received interviews at all of the companies listed above, except Scribe America.

With that being said, is there a certain company that you would choose over the others? Or would you recommend/avoid one? Feel free to share your experiences as well, if you have/are scribing!

I am currently living in the Seattle, WA area.

Thank you! 🙂

If you don't have the option, pick whichever company. However, if you can help it, AVOID SCRIBE AMERICA. Loved the actual experience, and team we had down at Miami, Florida. The company itself is horrible. Due to corporate arguments, they lost several locations at South Florida to Physassist, and refused to let us transition to Physassist (they were upholding the non compete they made us sign when we started) WITHOUT OFFERING ANOTHER SCRIBE AMERICA JOB. Luckily, I have been able to land a great job that pays much better, but still bummed out that I can't continue working in an actual ED until I start med school.

Good luck in your interviews, any of the others have to be better than Scribe America.

 

[sjcha]

Start with a national company to get some experience and keep looking in the meantime. I don't really know how you'd find them to be honest. I met someone in class who was a scribe in the particular program. I imagine the use of national scribe agencies is on the rise because they pay terribly and don't care about you, which in turn means less cost to the physicians or hospital depending on the set up.

I was thinking along the same lines. Depending on if I get accepted to start school in 2018, I imagine that I will only be working for a little less than 2 years. Now, I know that this can seem like an eternity if I hate my job/company, but I'm pretty much going to do whatever it takes to get great experience. The pre-med advisor at my university only sends emails regarding Scribe America and other large companies, so I am assuming that landing a scribe position for a private group is tough.

 

[sjcha]

It is the only one I have worked with but yeah I would recommend them. Like a previous post, what you get out is equal to what you put in. I personally love going to work and the doctors I work with are amazing. It is funny you ask about the graveyard thing because I just started day 8/8 of midnight shifts but I scheduled myself like that and picked up a few extra shifts. It is really easy to get the schedule I want here but you're area may be different. It depends on what your schedule looks like. I start school in a few days and my scheduler did a really good job of making my schedule. The key is to not be too unreasonable with your schedule and they will do the same.

I guess you can't complain about graveyard shifts if you asked for them 😛. My schedule looks like it's going to be pretty similar. I have class MTTHF from 8:30-10:20 am, and then I do work 2 days a week at the PT clinic. So, I'm probably going to ask for graveyard shifts on Tuesday and possibly a weekend day (since I want to be part-time until classes are done in December). I hope that this isn't too much because I will be studying for the MCAT pretty soon. I'm glad that you enjoy what you do 🙂

 

[sjcha]

If you don't have the option, pick whichever company. However, if you can help it, AVOID SCRIBE AMERICA. Loved the actual experience, and team we had down at Miami, Florida. The company itself is horrible. Due to corporate arguments, they lost several locations at South Florida to Physassist, and refused to let us transition to Physassist (they were upholding the non compete they made us sign when we started) WITHOUT OFFERING ANOTHER SCRIBE AMERICA JOB. Luckily, I have been able to land a great job that pays much better, but still bummed out that I can't continue working in an actual ED until I start med school.

Good luck in your interviews, any of the others have to be better than Scribe America.

I'm sorry you lost your position 🙁. Thank you for the heads up haha. Maybe it's a sign that they are the only one that I haven't heard back from! Have you applied to med schools already or do you have schooling left to finish?

 

[comed]

I'm not sure if there are private gigs in my area haha. I did mention that I lived in the Seattle area, but I am actually south about 40 miles. I tried Googling private EM groups, but came up with nothing. Would you recommend still searching even if it takes a few months, rather than getting started with another company right away?

OP, did you make a decision regarding which company to scribe for?
I have 2 offers from Scribe America and a smaller local scribe company. I have to get back to Scribe America regarding if I am going to accept their offer pretty soon. The smaller local company said they'll send me an offer letter after the background check is complete- it's been about 3 business days but still no offer letter yet.....

 

[Neurality]

OP, did you make a decision regarding which company to scribe for?
I have 2 offers from Scribe America and a smaller local scribe company. I have to get back to Scribe America regarding if I am going to accept their offer pretty soon. The smaller local company said they'll send me an offer letter after the background check is complete- it's been about 3 business days but still no offer letter yet.....

ScribeAmerica has the name recognition and location flexibility (Ability to be in an ED, outpatient or inpatient setting.) They also have some helpful resources for Pre-med students. The smaller company may pay slightly better due to less overhead than SA. A LOR from SA may carry more weight due to the name but both obviously offer a chance for a LOR from a physician. From what I've heard, the training you receive from SA is outstanding. The written part is nearly as grueling an entire medical terminology course. Also factor in the location and how far you are willing to commute. Hope this helps a bit!

 

[comed]

ScribeAmerica has the name recognition and location flexibility (Ability to be in an ED, outpatient or inpatient setting.) They also have some helpful resources for Pre-med students. The smaller company may pay slightly better due to less overhead than SA. A LOR from SA may carry more weight due to the name but both obviously offer a chance for a LOR from a physician. From what I've heard, the training you receive from SA is outstanding. The written part is nearly as grueling an entire medical terminology course. Also factor in the location and how far you are willing to commute. Hope this helps a bit!

Thank you so much for your insight, @Premedguy75 ! Did you end up taking a different offer?

 

[Neurality]

@comed You're welcome. I did not.

 

[Ateleryx]

OP, did you make a decision regarding which company to scribe for?
I have 2 offers from Scribe America and a smaller local scribe company. I have to get back to Scribe America regarding if I am going to accept their offer pretty soon. The smaller local company said they'll send me an offer letter after the background check is complete- it's been about 3 business days but still no offer letter yet.....

If you have any questions about ScribeAmerica I can help with that via PM as I've been working for them for a year and a half now at multiple locations. There are definitely pros and cons, but of course that's true with any job. One of the biggest things I can say for sure is that, through ScribeAmerica, you're experience will heavily depend on the specific Chief Scribe of your specific site and the people/providers/atmosphere where you work. No matter which company you scribe for though you can expect to learn a great deal of information.

 

[sjcha]

OP, did you make a decision regarding which company to scribe for?
I have 2 offers from Scribe America and a smaller local scribe company. I have to get back to Scribe America regarding if I am going to accept their offer pretty soon. The smaller local company said they'll send me an offer letter after the background check is complete- it's been about 3 business days but still no offer letter yet.....

I haven't. I actually just received an offer from ProScribe for $10.50/hr. I think the other bigger companies offer minimum, which is about $9.70 in WA state. I have to get back to them by today haha. I have two interviews tomorrow and then one for SA next week. I am not sure which one I want to commit to. I think I want to work in the ED, but ProScribe is a clinic. I'm stuck on what I should do!!

 

[sjcha]

If you have any questions about ScribeAmerica I can help with that via PM as I've been working for them for a year and a half now at multiple locations. There are definitely pros and cons, but of course that's true with any job. One of the biggest things I can say for sure is that, through ScribeAmerica, you're experience will heavily depend on the specific Chief Scribe of your specific site and the people/providers/atmosphere where you work. No matter which company you scribe for though you can expect to learn a great deal of information.

Have you worked in both a hospital and clinical setting?

 

[Ateleryx]

Have you worked in both a hospital and clinical setting?

Yes and I'm currently located at both

 

[Papa Oso]

I'm sorry you lost your position 🙁. Thank you for the heads up haha. Maybe it's a sign that they are the only one that I haven't heard back from! Have you applied to med schools already or do you have schooling left to finish?

I am currently applying and almost done with all of my secondaries.

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[Neurality]

I haven't. I actually just received an offer from ProScribe for $10.50/hr. I think the other bigger companies offer minimum, which is about $9.70 in WA state. I have to get back to them by today haha. I have two interviews tomorrow and then one for SA next week. I am not sure which one I want to commit to. I think I want to work in the ED, but ProScribe is a clinic. I'm stuck on what I should do!!

Go for what your passionate about! It really shouldn't be about the money at this point (what's a $1/hr difference against 200k+ in debt) but about giving yourself the best possible experience. There are opportunities with SA to move up (Scribe->Trainer->Project Leader, etc) which offer pay raises at each level. Hope this short response helped!

 

[Papa Oso]

I am going to reiterate that SA at it's core is a pretty terrible company. The Scribing experience itself is amazing so I would just take SA if it was the only viable option.

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[sjcha]

Yes and I'm currently located at both

If you had to choose, which one do you like/prefer?

 

[sjcha]

Go for what your passionate about! It really shouldn't be about the money at this point (what's a $1/hr difference against 200k+ in debt) but about giving yourself the best possible experience. There are opportunities with SA to move up (Scribe->Trainer->Project Leader, etc) which offer pay raises at each level. Hope this short response helped!

Oh, I'm not doing it for the money. I believe experience > pay, otherwise I wouldn't be looking to be a scribe haha. I'm not necessarily looking to move up (although I wouldn't be opposed to doing so 😀). I just want to put myself in a company that will give me the best experience and be flexible in terms of scheduling and location!

 

[sjcha]

I am going to reiterate that SA at it's core is a pretty terrible company. The Scribing experience itself is amazing so I would just take SA if it was the only viable option.

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Ah, I see. I have heard that from many, many people. Maybe I will exclude them and decide between the other 3. Thank you!
Also, good luck with the rest of your apps 😀

 

[Ateleryx]

If you had to choose, which one do you like/prefer?

If you're just starting out I highly recommend you begin with clinical. Once you get some more base knowledge and feel for working with EMRs then either add in or switch to ER. ERs typically have more complex cases (and lengthier, more detailed documentation overall) and can be a lot faster-paced and might be overwhelming if you're just starting out. This could also depend on the specific clinic or ER, however this is usually the case.

 

[sjcha]

If you're just starting out I highly recommend you begin with clinical. Once you get some more base knowledge and feel for working with EMRs then either add in or switch to ER. ERs typically have more complex cases (and lengthier, more detailed documentation overall) and can be a lot faster-paced and might be overwhelming if you're just starting out. This could also depend on the specific clinic or ER, however this is usually the case.

Thank you for your suggestions! I was thinking along the lines of that, but thought that maybe the training could get me a good start in the ER (w/o previous scribing experience). I do plan on leaving my PT aide job, so I could pick up an ER scribe position later on once I get more familiar with everything!

 

[comed]

Go for what your passionate about! It really shouldn't be about the money at this point (what's a $1/hr difference against 200k+ in debt) but about giving yourself the best possible experience. There are opportunities with SA to move up (Scribe->Trainer->Project Leader, etc) which offer pay raises at each level. Hope this short response helped!

That's what my thought process was. Although the other company offered higher pay (only by a couple more dollars), the ScribeAmerica opportunity is at a nationally ranked hospital, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for the experience.

 

[sjcha]

That's what my thought process was. Although the other company offered higher pay (only by a couple more dollars), the ScribeAmerica opportunity is at a nationally ranked hospital, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for the experience.

I guess it all depends on location and also preference. I went ahead and accepted the private clinic scribe position because I felt that getting experience is a more "calm" environment would be my best bet. After a few months, I will probably pick up a position in the ED and drop my PT aide position. How do you like being a scribe for SA?

 

[TrustyScribe]

Hi All,

I am a recent graduate (2016 woohoo!) and have decided to apply to DO schools in June 2017. I was previously pre-PT, but switched to pre-med 5 months before graduation. I have decent ECs (most being PT and leadership experience) and I am currently working part-time at a PT clinic. I would like to have physician-patient exposure, so I applied to 4 different companies: PhysAssist, ProScribe, Scribe America, and Scribe-Northwest. I went ahead and searched for reviews online for each company. It doesn't seem to be great; each company got 2.8-3.2 out of 5, but I am assuming this is because of the low pay. At the moment, I am more interested in the experience, rather than pay (although the pay would be nice 😀).

So far, I have received interviews at all of the companies listed above, except Scribe America.

With that being said, is there a certain company that you would choose over the others? Or would you recommend/avoid one? Feel free to share your experiences as well, if you have/are scribing!

I am currently living in the Seattle, WA area.

Thank you! 🙂

Hey! So I'm a scribe for a really well-known scribe company on the east coast ( we have locations throughout the US though). I think scribing has been COMPLETELY transformative for my growth as a pre-med person (not a student right now because I also graduated in 2016 woohoo). I didn't think I'd learn as much as I know now until I was well into medical school. I work in the ER. I have seen medical students from programs like liberty and a couple Caribbean schools come down during their rotations to see interesting cases, and I often know much more than they do, at least clinically speaking. So I have no doubt that I'll be miles ahead of the majority of my class during my third and fourth year. I can read chest x-rays, point out glaring abnormalities in CTs, interpret lab work, and honestly I could diagnose at LEAST half of the patients we see. I've learned what labs to order, what imaging studies to order, what drugs to give, and a lot more. It's like doing rotations or active shadowing. Another way that I've described it to people is like this. It's like learning to walk by having someone pick up your feet and moving them for you. Also, while I'm not really supposed to, I've gotten a decent amount of hands-on experience doing things like helping to reduce dislocated joints, steadying arms during combative IV placements, and ventilating patients during codes after intubation. I've learned A LOT. I've learned how to take patient's histories and I've learned a LOT of physical examination stuff. I think every pre-med should scribe. Of course I'm terribly biased. I know for sure that I've gotten a ****-ton more experience scribing than I would have doing any of the research that was available through my undergrad institution.

As for which company to choose? Who knows? Where I live, there are a few scribe companies. One of them gets to work at a Level 1 trauma center. I don't. I also however wouldn't change a thing because I LOOVE the physicians I work with. I make less money than other scribe companies pay, but that's fine because I took the job for the experience. And the experience I have wrought. I have been doing it for a year, and plan on continuing to do it for another year until I'm done studying for the MCAT. I'd rather not publically name-drop my company, but if you want to message me, ( if you can even do that on here) I'd be glad to tell you more.

 

[sjcha]

Hey! So I'm a scribe for a really well-known scribe company on the east coast ( we have locations throughout the US though). I think scribing has been COMPLETELY transformative for my growth as a pre-med person (not a student right now because I also graduated in 2016 woohoo). I didn't think I'd learn as much as I know now until I was well into medical school. I work in the ER. I have seen medical students from programs like liberty and a couple Caribbean schools come down during their rotations to see interesting cases, and I often know much more than they do, at least clinically speaking. So I have no doubt that I'll be miles ahead of the majority of my class during my third and fourth year. I can read chest x-rays, point out glaring abnormalities in CTs, interpret lab work, and honestly I could diagnose at LEAST half of the patients we see. I've learned what labs to order, what imaging studies to order, what drugs to give, and a lot more. It's like doing rotations or active shadowing. Another way that I've described it to people is like this. It's like learning to walk by having someone pick up your feet and moving them for you. Also, while I'm not really supposed to, I've gotten a decent amount of hands-on experience doing things like helping to reduce dislocated joints, steadying arms during combative IV placements, and ventilating patients during codes after intubation. I've learned A LOT. I've learned how to take patient's histories and I've learned a LOT of physical examination stuff. I think every pre-med should scribe. Of course I'm terribly biased. I know for sure that I've gotten a ****-ton more experience scribing than I would have doing any of the research that was available through my undergrad institution.

As for which company to choose? Who knows? Where I live, there are a few scribe companies. One of them gets to work at a Level 1 trauma center. I don't. I also however wouldn't change a thing because I LOOVE the physicians I work with. I make less money than other scribe companies pay, but that's fine because I took the job for the experience. And the experience I have wrought. I have been doing it for a year, and plan on continuing to do it for another year until I'm done studying for the MCAT. I'd rather not publically name-drop my company, but if you want to message me, ( if you can even do that on here) I'd be glad to tell you more.

Hey! Thanks for sharing your experiences with scribing. It sounds like you have had a phenomenal experience so far and I'm glad that you have been placed in a learning environment!

I, too, have been extremely fortunate with my scribing experience! I've been working for about 3 months now, and have been promoted to a scribe trainer! I've had the opportunity (just like you) to have hands-on experience as well. I don't think that we're supposed to, but it's been HUGE in my development. Feeling the differences of subcutaneous fat in infants vs teenagers, splenomegaly, hearing heart murmurs, hearing normal vs abnormal bowel sounds; it's amazing! I think that scribing is very dependent on the physician(s) that you work with. I have friends that had mediocre experiences (basically just sit in the corner and type). It's similar to a class setting; you have professors who are interactive and then you have some that are the "read from the powerpoint" type. The physician that I work with is ALWAYS teaching me, whether it's in the patient rooms or in his office. Being able to read labs/images and have an idea of what medications/diagnoses each patient has is definitely an advantage prior to starting med school. I told my physician that I would still work this job for free because of the experience that he has given me! I'm happy that you find your experience well worth your time 🙂

 

[scribeguy11]

I work in an ER for Scribe America. The pay is alright, the experience is great, and the work just gets easier and easier. Around here there are a lot of opportunities for choosing different specialists to scribe for.

 

[Veggie_Girl]

Hey! Thanks for sharing your experiences with scribing. It sounds like you have had a phenomenal experience so far and I'm glad that you have been placed in a learning environment!

I, too, have been extremely fortunate with my scribing experience! I've been working for about 3 months now, and have been promoted to a scribe trainer! I've had the opportunity (just like you) to have hands-on experience as well. I don't think that we're supposed to, but it's been HUGE in my development. Feeling the differences of subcutaneous fat in infants vs teenagers, splenomegaly, hearing heart murmurs, hearing normal vs abnormal bowel sounds; it's amazing! I think that scribing is very dependent on the physician(s) that you work with. I have friends that had mediocre experiences (basically just sit in the corner and type). It's similar to a class setting; you have professors who are interactive and then you have some that are the "read from the powerpoint" type. The physician that I work with is ALWAYS teaching me, whether it's in the patient rooms or in his office. Being able to read labs/images and have an idea of what medications/diagnoses each patient has is definitely an advantage prior to starting med school. I told my physician that I would still work this job for free because of the experience that he has given me! I'm happy that you find your experience well worth your time 🙂

I know that for Scribe America we are NOT allowed to touch the patients ever, even if it was to help them with something, but its because of liability. That's really amazing you were able to gain some hands on experience though, I wish I was able to do that! My doctors still all teach me every day, especially because I work for two teaching hospitals so they are used to having residents around, but I can't physically do anything. Still, I am really happy that I am learning, and even sometimes know the answers to questions that some PA students/1st year residents don't know.

As far as pay goes, one of my docs was really shocked to find out we only make $10/hr (I only told him because he asked if we got payed well and I said no, which he thought meant $15/hr haha), apparently the hospital pays $25/hr to have us there...most of the money has clearly disappeared in some SA black hole. Overall though, I don't care about pay, it is not why I took the job and I have had an amazing time working as a scribe. Literally, best experience in healthcare, I would also have done it for free, but don't tell anyone 😉

 

[sjcha]

I know that for Scribe America we are NOT allowed to touch the patients ever, even if it was to help them with something, but its because of liability. That's really amazing you were able to gain some hands on experience though, I wish I was able to do that! My doctors still all teach me every day, especially because I work for two teaching hospitals so they are used to having residents around, but I can't physically do anything. Still, I am really happy that I am learning, and even sometimes know the answers to questions that some PA students/1st year residents don't know.

As far as pay goes, one of my docs was really shocked to find out we only make $10/hr (I only told him because he asked if we got payed well and I said no, which he thought meant $15/hr haha), apparently the hospital pays $25/hr to have us there...most of the money has clearly disappeared in some SA black hole. Overall though, I don't care about pay, it is not why I took the job and I have had an amazing time working as a scribe. Literally, best experience in healthcare, I would also have done it for free, but don't tell anyone 😉

I think my company is the same way, but the physician specifically allowed me to do so under his supervision. I mean, I'm not just going to decline to get hands-on experience if it's presented to me haha. It's even great that you are learning because I have a lot of friends that scribe (and some of them are literally told to stand in the corner and just type). Physicians that take the time to teach and explain different XRs, labs, procedures, etc. are doing more than they have to, which is extremely appreciated.

I can agree with that statement. My physician said that I need to be paid more, so he actually contacted my company to see if I could get a raise 😵. I would do this for free as well! Experience > pay. You will be paid well later on in life anyways!