should i quit scribing?

[don't you dare]

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hey all,
it's been about 2 months since I started this job and i'm still in floor training. The reason why I consider quitting is because I don't think the amount of growth and learning experiences I will gain from this job is worth the pay, stress, pressure, and belittling.

This thought started when I began my floor training. I've heard nothing but discouraging words from my trainer. I don't think the trainer is there to teach me how to become a scribe but is there to remind me that I am not a good fit for this job. Initially, I had a difficult time charting because my company had this new curriculum where during classroom training, we only practiced a total of 3 charts before floor training. (which we didn't even go over the correct answers for). Because I discovered that I was not as prepared as I hoped for floor training (and because my trainer knows more and have been working longer), I was very receptive to the initial criticisms as I saw it as a way to create a guideline of to-do or not to-do when scribing. However, later on, my trainer started going back and forth with her statements and doubted and corrected every single detail of my chart to the way SHE would do not what a SCRIBE would do. I say this because I saw how my chief scribe does her charts and I did exactly what my chief scribe will do which my trainer told me to correct. So, I got lost. there is no one else who can tell me what a right way and wrong way to scribe except my trainer and she kept going back and forth with the right and the wrong. I started doubting all the things I did, because she was constantly discouraging and criticizing (which I didn't even know if it was even constructive criticism). I began noticing that she was belittling me as a person and overly condescending when she is the same pre-med student as me. She would be so nice and respectful to everyone BUT me. She was not receptive to my questions but just rolled her eyes as if she has given up on me. Because I am in a position to learn, I have no choice but to trust and do what my trainer tells me to do in regards to writing my charts, but I am just not learning anything from her at this point because she is going back and forth with her answers.

As much as I know that, if I get through this, I will be scribing on my own, but at this point, I don't even know if I'll get through floor training, because my performance has been decreasing after her doubts in my capabilities made me lose confidence in the information I wrote.

Like most of other people who are scribes, continuing this scribing job is not a life or death situation for me. I have a passion to learn and help the physicians I will work with, but not for the company, although my trainer treats this company like her baby and expects me to do the same.

I been thinking if this overcoming this challenge is worth the amount of stress, pressure and time wasted during my precious gap year and I don't think it's worth it. However, I don't want to make such decision lightly or be seen as a quitter. I also want to make sure that I'm not making this decision just based on my emotions but make sure I make the most logical decision that is best for me. I will likely talk with my chief scribe about this, so I would like to gather as much thought as I can. Thanks for reading this long blurb. I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Planes2Doc]

If you are having to ask yourself (and SDN) this question, then you probably want to quit and should if this is not good for you. No one will see you as a quitter because you do not have to put this on your application. You can move onto things that work better for you, and it will be as if scribing had never happened. Good luck!

 

[BOAO523]

Scribing gets a bad reputation but I've seen it as a source of valuable experience for me. My rule of thumb is that I don't stay in toxic situations too long unless I absolutely have to. It sounds like you have the option to resign. Based on the little info I have I'd suggest leaving and finding another scribing position.

 

[TastyBrains]

I became a scribe this year, I understand where you are coming from entirely...I was super distressed during training and early on and what I discovered is that the backstabbing gunning premed segment has thoroughly infiltrated the scribe world and some of your coworkers basically want you to fail and/or feel that your very presence is somehow threatening their chances or resources there as ridiculous as that may sound 🙁 ...that said it is a great opportunity, when you get fast and efficient you can really watch EVERY step of docs thinking process, orders, exams. Just keep your head down and do your thing, find those who want you to succeed and limit your interactions to those individuals when possible.

Or quit, there are other things you can do for clinical stuff.

 

[TastyBrains]

However, later on, my trainer started going back and forth with her statements and doubted and corrected every single detail of my chart to the way SHE would do not what a SCRIBE would do.

also wow I had a disturbingly similar experience in training. could even be same person haha

 

[Select All That Apply]

@don't you dare Out of curiosity, is this your first job in healthcare?

 

[Robin-jay]

Scribing companies have turned the job into a circus act.

In my humble opinion, the cons outweigh the pros of the job unless you are surrounded by very helpful people on site.

 

[don't you dare]

Scribing companies have turned the job into a circus act.

In my humble opinion, the cons outweigh the pros of the job unless you are surrounded by very helpful people on site.

I started this job despite its low compensation, but I didn't know I was getting into an environment that only discourages me. My only incentive from this job was to see a daily routine of different physicians and how they provide patient care. Although I truly enjoyed my time with the physicians and their generosity to teach me despite my position as a scribe trainee, I don't think it will outweigh the unsupportive work environment from my co-worker.

 

[don't you dare]

I became a scribe this year, I understand where you are coming from entirely...I was super distressed during training and early on and what I discovered is that the backstabbing gunning premed segment has thoroughly infiltrated the scribe world and some of your coworkers basically want you to fail and/or feel that your very presence is somehow threatening their chances or resources there as ridiculous as that may sound 🙁 ...that said it is a great opportunity, when you get fast and efficient you can really watch EVERY step of docs thinking process, orders, exams. Just keep your head down and do your thing, find those who want you to succeed and limit your interactions to those individuals when possible.

Or quit, there are other things you can do for clinical stuff.

I'm also just thinking of doing something non-clinical haha. In the long-run, I only see myself doing medicine, so why not spend this gap year doing something non-medicine to broaden my spectrum and gain some people skills??

 

[don't you dare]

If you are having to ask yourself (and SDN) this question, then you probably want to quit and should if this is not good for you. No one will see you as a quitter because you do not have to put this on your application. You can move onto things that work better for you, and it will be as if scribing had never happened. Good luck!

The technical things I learned so far from this job, such as learning to browse around the EHR system and seeing routine cases seen by physicians, I guess my experience here isn't full of regrets but a learning lesson for me. I won't put this in my application because I'm not sure how I can explain this situation to help the adcom fully understand why I had to quit (or is there a way? haha). Thanks for your thought.

 

[mw18]

hey all,
it's been about 2 months since I started this job and i'm still in floor training. The reason why I consider quitting is because I don't think the amount of growth and learning experiences I will gain from this job is worth the pay, stress, pressure, and belittling.

This thought started when I began my floor training. I've heard nothing but discouraging words from my trainer. I don't think the trainer is there to teach me how to become a scribe but is there to remind me that I am not a good fit for this job. Initially, I had a difficult time charting because my company had this new curriculum where during classroom training, we only practiced a total of 3 charts before floor training. (which we didn't even go over the correct answers for). Because I discovered that I was not as prepared as I hoped for floor training (and because my trainer knows more and have been working longer), I was very receptive to the initial criticisms as I saw it as a way to create a guideline of to-do or not to-do when scribing. However, later on, my trainer started going back and forth with her statements and doubted and corrected every single detail of my chart to the way SHE would do not what a SCRIBE would do. I say this because I saw how my chief scribe does her charts and I did exactly what my chief scribe will do which my trainer told me to correct. So, I got lost. there is no one else who can tell me what a right way and wrong way to scribe except my trainer and she kept going back and forth with the right and the wrong. I started doubting all the things I did, because she was constantly discouraging and criticizing (which I didn't even know if it was even constructive criticism). I began noticing that she was belittling me as a person and overly condescending when she is the same pre-med student as me. She would be so nice and respectful to everyone BUT me. She was not receptive to my questions but just rolled her eyes as if she has given up on me. Because I am in a position to learn, I have no choice but to trust and do what my trainer tells me to do in regards to writing my charts, but I am just not learning anything from her at this point because she is going back and forth with her answers.

As much as I know that, if I get through this, I will be scribing on my own, but at this point, I don't even know if I'll get through floor training, because my performance has been decreasing after her doubts in my capabilities made me lose confidence in the information I wrote.

Like most of other people who are scribes, continuing this scribing job is not a life or death situation for me. I have a passion to learn and help the physicians I will work with, but not for the company, although my trainer treats this company like her baby and expects me to do the same.

I been thinking if this overcoming this challenge is worth the amount of stress, pressure and time wasted during my precious gap year and I don't think it's worth it. However, I don't want to make such decision lightly or be seen as a quitter. I also want to make sure that I'm not making this decision just based on my emotions but make sure I make the most logical decision that is best for me. I will likely talk with my chief scribe about this, so I would like to gather as much thought as I can. Thanks for reading this long blurb. I appreciate your thoughts.

Quit scribing? Don't you dare...

Had to.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Scribing companies have turned the job into a circus act.

In my humble opinion, the cons outweigh the pros of the job unless you are surrounded by very helpful people on site.

Whoever started the first company that targeted pre-meds is a genius. You can abuse them to their breaking point, and their response will probably be: “Thank you sir, may I please have another?”

 

[Fresc_0]

Do you mind telling where the scribe position is? ER vs outpatient? City?

The only interaction you have with your other scribe coworkers is during training. After that you're pretty much on your own with the attending/residents/nurses. Just something to think about if your only problem is with other scribes.

 

[Warder]

Have you spoken to a supervisor and asked for another trainer? You don't have to say anything mean or disparaging about the other trainer, just explain that the two of you just aren't working very well together in an mentor/mentee relationship and that you think you might benefit from a different person giving you feedback and helping you on your charts. Express it as a desire that you want to learn and improve, but feel a little stuck, and not "they don't like me, and they're mean!" and if you have a good supervisor/manager, they should help you out.

This could be the first time your trainer has actually trained someone and she may be struggling to understand how to do that appropriately. You can be excellent at your job, but there is always a struggle for new trainers (for any job) between training people to do a job effectively versus trying to train people to do things the same way they do it (everyone thinks their own way is the best way...). More experienced trainers are better about giving someone multiple acceptable ways to complete a job and letting the trainee pick a method that the trainee likes best, even if it isn't the same way the trainer does it.

She also could have previous complaints against her from other trainees. Your complaint might be the one that tips her over and gets her removed from training.

Regardless, a bad employee or two isn't what makes a workplace a bad place. Every workplace has "those dinguses." What makes a bad workplace is a management who won't respond and take action to curb "those dinguses." Management can't do anything if no one ever complains though and the person does their job.

In the end though, once you're out of training, you can just interact with the Docs/PAs/nurses/techs if you want. Significant interaction with other scribes is often optional in this job.

 

[PreMedStudent55555]

The technical things I learned so far from this job, such as learning to browse around the EHR system and seeing routine cases seen by physicians, I guess my experience here isn't full of regrets but a learning lesson for me. I won't put this in my application because I'm not sure how I can explain this situation to help the adcom fully understand why I had to quit (or is there a way? haha). Thanks for your thought.

Welcome to a toxic boss-employee relationship/work environment because you're in one now. What your "trainer" is doing is called micromanaging. Quite frankly she wants you to become her which is a horrible way to train someone.

Your description of your interactions reminds me of a postdoc I had to work with.

My advice is to get out and keep this on your application. Say you found a better opportunity and wanted to explore and etc. Scribing I think is not worth it for a gap year. I considered it but like someone else said on here before: It's become a circus act that preys on desperate premeds who would do anything to pad their resumes. You're prob getting paid less than minimum wage under the guise that you are "getting more premed experience".

You can do anything to get more experience. Don't sacrifice your happiness and mental health with all of this unnecessary stress.

I don't think scribing is what it was anymore. Too many gunners in my opinion also who want to "cut" down the competition which I think is stupid.