When should I make the transition from Scribe -> ER Tech?

[Round786]

Should I even change jobs? My plan has always been to be a scribe my freshman and sophomore year and an ER tech my junior year. But I really like my scribing job. I am learning a lot about the EHR, patient interactions, notes, and lots of other subtle things that you can’t really learn from just shadowing or any other clinical experience. I also have a guaranteed strong LOR (the physician is very supportive of premeds and we get along very well).

What advantages can being an ER tech give? I heard from an applicant at my undergrad that their ER tech job was brought up at most interviews but no one brought up their scribing job. Is their experience common? Is ER Tech really regarded as more impressive and eye-catching then scribing?

Should I just do the best of both worlds, and become an ER scribe?

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[Tenk]

You’ll get a lot more exposure to medicine and more personal time with ED physicians as a scribe. I rarely talk to my CNAs and techs in comparison.

 

[Round786]

You’ll get a lot more exposure to medicine and more personal time with ED physicians as a scribe. I rarely talk to my CNAs and techs in comparison.

So I should become an ED scribe? Or should I stay with my current physician?

 

[Tenk]

So I should become an ED scribe? Or should I stay with my current physician?

Up to you. Being an ED scribe would probably just add more stories to your repertoire and increase your differential knowledge base for med school. ED scribes generally make better third year students because they can form actual differentials on initial presentations as well as work ups and dispositions (that’s what the ED is).

In terms of your ability to get into med school, probably little to no difference.

 

[Round786]

Up to you. Being an ED scribe would probably just add more stories to your repertoire and increase your differential knowledge base for med school. ED scribes generally make better third year students because they can form actual differentials on initial presentations as well as work ups and dispositions (that’s what the ED is).

In terms of your ability to get into med school, probably little to no difference.

Yeah I am sorely lacking an interesting story beyond my initial motivations for medicine, and I don’t think my current job can provide that. I will look into Ed scribe jobs, thank you!

 

[mochimmy]

You’ll get a lot more exposure to medicine and more personal time with ED physicians as a scribe. I rarely talk to my CNAs and techs in comparison.

This is highly dependent on what you make of it. I work as an ED Tech and I’m close with several of the doctors but I also have hands on interactions with patients and treat them myself

 

[mochimmy]

I think if you already have years of experience as a scribe, it would do you well to get hands on experience treating patient as an ED Tech. Scribing is similar to shadowing, where you’re not actually interacting with or treating the patients yourself but rather observing a physician do it. It’s not recommended to focus too much on experiences like this in your activities section, and most people don’t even write a description for their shadowing and instead just list it all. As an ED Tech, you’ll get to interact with and treat patients yourself and you can still talk to the doctors about the patients conditions, read their charts and learn about differentials and work ups, etc. It’s honestly what you make of it and if you get close to the physicians you can still ask to shadow them if you want.

 

[Rside]

I think it depends on the ED you work at. I used to scribe and I currently work as an ER Tech and I personally like my ER Tech job 100x more.

I personally get to be hands on with patients and maybe because our ED is small but I get to talk to and learn from the physicians all the time! They all know I’m a premed and will frequently pull me into rooms when there’s an interesting case. Plus for me it’s quite interesting seeing the different approach of about 10 different physicians.

 

[Round786]

I think it depends on the ED you work at. I used to scribe and I currently work as an ER Tech and I personally like my ER Tech job 100x more.

I personally get to be hands on with patients and maybe because our ED is small but I get to talk to and learn from the physicians all the time! They all know I’m a premed and will frequently pull me into rooms when there’s an interesting case. Plus for me it’s quite interesting seeing the different approach of about 10 different physicians.

I live in a large city so what you’re describing is likely impossible for me.

 

[Rside]

I live in a large city so what you’re describing is likely impossible for me.

Mmm I wouldn’t just assume that. I live in Orange County, CA.

 

[mochimmy]

Mmm I wouldn’t just assume that. I live in Orange County, CA.

Yep I live in Fulton County, GA. In big counties like these there are usually lots of hospitals to accommodate and the one I work at is also smaller.