Shadowing as scribe?

[EMS5]

This spring I will be starting a position as an ED scribe at a local hospital. At our hospital, the scribes are with the physician when the patient is seen 99% of the time.

Can I count this time as "shadowing" since I will be spending a substantial amount of time watching what the physician does for documentation purposes?

Also, any words of wisdom regarding working as a scribe, physicians or anyone who has worked as a scribe?

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[sgtbrushes]

Why don't you consider it as working as a scribe, since... you're working as a scribe. For most ADCOMs, shadowing counts as "clinical experience" - seeing how health care workers interact with each other and with the patient. That's exactly the experience you're getting as a scribe.

 

[7starmantis]

Yeah, being a scribe is just as good if not better than shadowing, so use it as scribe experience not shadowing. Scribe implies a little more hands on, "brain turned on" kind of experience than shadowing so I would use it proudly.

I worked and volunteered as a scribe, loved it.

 

[randombetch]

Why don't you consider it as working as a scribe, since... you're working as a scribe. For most ADCOMs, shadowing counts as "clinical experience" - seeing how health care workers interact with each other and with the patient. That's exactly the experience you're getting as a scribe.

 

[EMS5]

Sorry should have been clearer, I was referring to using my time working as a scribe in place of shadowing. You guys answered that question pretty well. Thanks

 

[J ROD]

In addition to the ER scribe, I would suggest shadowing a FM doc and a few other fields to broaden the app.

 

[7starmantis]

In addition to the ER scribe, I would suggest shadowing a FM doc and a few other fields to broaden the app.

Yeah I actually got asked in several interviews if I had seen death while shadowing. Totally didn't expect that question, but maybe that was due to my shadowing experiences....but apparently seemed to be a question worth asking (at more than one school). Diverse shadowing = +

 

[JJMrK]

You don't have to shadow to get into medical school. Working as a scribe is probably a much more worthwhile experience.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

I worked as a scribe in a ER and I talked to an admissions officer about this very question. Her opinion was that scribing was a great experience, but shadowing to gain some different views of medicine was also good.

So,

Scribing >> shadowing

and

(scribing + shadowing) > scribing