Scribing or Undergrad Research?

[Sparxx17]

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So here's the deal: I'm a freshman/junior in undergrad and I'm trying to decide between taking a job offer as a scribe or pursuing undergraduate research in a lab at my university. In terms of college credit and experience, I'm a junior. I completed around 70 credit hours through my junior and senior years at a residential high school on a college campus. All those credits transferred to my current university. I'm a freshman because this is technically my first semester of "real college". I've had three semesters of experience in biology research so I'm currently in talks with a professor about joining her lab. Problem is I also have a job offer to scribe in one of my local hospitals. My question is: which should I do? I have to let the scribe company know that I'm interested by Monday morning, and the research professor won't be meeting with me until Tuesday afternoon. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

So here's the deal: I'm a freshman/junior in undergrad and I'm trying to decide between taking a job offer as a scribe or pursuing undergraduate research in a lab at my university. In terms of college credit and experience, I'm a junior. I completed around 70 credit hours through my junior and senior years at a residential high school on a college campus. All those credits transferred to my current university. I'm a freshman because this is technically my first semester of "real college". I've had three semesters of experience in biology research so I'm currently in talks with a professor about joining her lab. Problem is I also have a job offer to scribe in one of my local hospitals. My question is: which should I do? I have to let the scribe company know that I'm interested by Monday morning, and the research professor won't be meeting with me until Tuesday afternoon. Thoughts anyone?

Optimal if you can swing both. I did 2 years research parttime (before and after college, started as a junior). I'm now 1.5 years into scribing (did it about 30/hours week, until I was promoted to Chief SCribe, now I'm full time). Scribing can be weekends/nights. Research is usually pretty flexible too. Assume you take a gap year, you would have some significant part time experience that you could cobble together a good amount of experience with both, and maybe get some leadership out of it. I believe to be truly competitive, you need to fulfill the 3 part mission of most academic med centers: research, clinical exposure, and teaching (TA or tutoring). Best wishes to you.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Both are really great opportunities that are generally looked upon favorably by med schools! You might ask yourself if you're more interested at this point in gaining lab experience or clinical experience? Is the research in a field that interests you? Would one of these jobs work better with your schedule? I scribed in an urban trauma center where I was working days, nights, overnights, weekends, and holidays. It was a great experience but it was definitely rough at times. On the flipside, I've worked in clinical research for the past few years and now I work weekdays only, no nights, no holidays. Would it be possible to do both? Honestly, I think either opportunity would be good preparation for med school. I actually found my current research job because I got along really with a doctor I met while scribing. Even if you have to choose one, you can still find other ways to get different types of experience.

 

[Sparxx17]

I would love to do both but I don't think that I would be able to handle 20 hours of scribing with 20 hours of research and a 17 hour course load of calculus-based physics and organic chem and maintain a great GPA (and mental state).

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

I would love to do both but I don't think that I would be able to handle 20 hours of scribing with 20 hours of research and a 17 hour course load of calculus-based physics and organic chem and maintain a great GPA (and mental state).

As I did volunteer research, I only did 10/hours a week during school, but a lot more during summers. Try to keep your options open, but if they are paid "jobs", that is a different story.

 

[BeachBaby]

Yea I would agree it would be great to have both. Maybe do research now and save scribing as what to do full time as soon as you graduate. I've done 1.5 years and love it lots but know that having research was important in making me a competitive applicant

 

[Gibbward]

If you don't have any other clinical exposure opportunities lined up, maybe take the scribe job. You can't go wrong with working with doctors and other healthcare professionals. On the other hand, research is always good to have for your app, but it's not essential. If you're thinking of taking a gap year though, it'll be nice to have some research experience under your belt before so you can get a solid paying research gig right out of college. Those pay the bills way better than being a scribe.

 

[123456123456]

I agree it is optimal if you can do both. However, I would choose the scribing if you had to pick since you already have more than enough research experience with the 3 semesters you have done. Scribing is extremely valuable. I would just be hesitant if it is one of those companies like scribeamerica since I have heard bad things about those type of companies

 

[mk2015]

Like everyone else mentioned it's probably not unrealistic to do both. That's what I did for 2 years. If you had to choose I would go with scribing.

 

[GiveMeThatMD]

I'm a freshman/junior in undergrad

Are you some kind of wizard

 

[Hospitalized]

What kind of scribe position is it? ER?