Medical scribing is a rewarding and educational job a premed can pursue. It offers a front-row seat to patient care, allowing you to shadow physicians, gain valuable clinical experience, and immerse yourself in the fast-paced world of medicine. Scribing also provides a great opportunity to build your knowledge, skills, and confidence—and make some money, too!
In this post, we’ll explore what medical scribing is, how you can land a scribing position, tips for making the most of it, and why it’s beneficial for pre-med students.
What is Medical Scribing?
A medical scribe works alongside healthcare professionals, typically in hospitals or clinics, documenting patient encounters in real time. Scribes accompany physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants into patient rooms. They take detailed notes of medical histories, physical exams, diagnoses, and treatment plans. This documentation goes into the patient’s electronic medical record (EMR), ensuring that medical providers can focus more on patient care than on paperwork.
However, scribing is more than just taking notes. It involves understanding medical terminology, interpreting physicians’ dictations, and becoming familiar with medical workflows. Scribes are essential in streamlining patient care and improving physician efficiency, especially in busy emergency departments, outpatient clinics, or specialty practices.
Further Reading
🩺 The Premed’s Complete Guide to Shadowing
🔍 Do You Need Research Experience for Medical School?
🩺 How to Make Your Experiences As a Pre-Med Count for Your Medical School Application
How to Get a Scribing Job
1. Research Scribing Companies
Many companies specialize in hiring and training medical scribes, such as ScribeAmerica, ProScribe, and PhysAssist. These organizations partner with hospitals and clinics across the country. Research companies that operate in your area or apply for positions listed on job boards like Indeed or LinkedIn.
2. Prepare a Strong Application
While most scribing jobs don’t require prior medical experience, demonstrating an understanding of medical terminology, strong communication skills, and attention to detail is important. Highlight any healthcare or science-related background you may have, including coursework or volunteering in clinical settings.
3. Ace the Interview
Be prepared to discuss why you want to become a scribe and how the role fits into your long-term career goals. Many scribe positions require quick thinking and attention to detail. So, expect questions about how you handle stressful situations, your multitasking ability, and your experience with technology (since you’ll be working with EMRs).
4. Complete Training
Once hired, most companies provide intensive training programs that include both online modules and in-person shadowing sessions. Training typically covers medical terminology, charting protocols, and EMR systems. Take this training seriously because it lays the foundation for your role as a scribe.
Tips for Making the Most of Your Scribing Experience
1. Learn Medical Terminology
While you may not need to know everything on day one, learning key medical terms will help you become more efficient in documenting patient encounters. Pay attention to abbreviations and common phrases used by your physicians. This will make you faster and more accurate when charting.
2. Observe and Ask Questions
One of the most significant benefits of scribing is that you’re shadowing medical professionals throughout your shift. Take advantage of this! You need to maintain a professional demeanor. However, there’s often downtime where you can ask the physician or healthcare provider questions about diagnoses, treatments, or their approach to patient care. Be respectful and time your questions well, but don’t hesitate to learn from their expertise.
3. Improve Your Clinical Reasoning
Eventually, you’ll begin to notice patterns in how providers diagnose and treat different conditions. Use this opportunity to develop your own clinical reasoning skills. Try to anticipate what tests or treatments the physician will order. Then compare your thoughts with their actual decisions. This practice will sharpen your understanding of clinical decision-making and prepare you for medical school, where this will quickly become expected of you.
4. Network with Healthcare Professionals
Scribing can open doors to mentorship and future opportunities in medicine. Build relationships with the physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers you interact with. They may offer invaluable advice, mentorship, and even letters of recommendation when it’s time to apply to medical school.
Sign up to get expert tips and exclusive invites to free MCAT classes and medical school admissions workshops!
How Scribing Can Benefit Pre-pmedical Students
1. Exposure to Medicine
Scribing allows you to witness firsthand what it’s like to be a physician. You’ll see the day-to-day challenges and rewards of patient care, from diagnosing complex cases to navigating insurance paperwork. This exposure helps solidify your decision to pursue medicine and gives you a realistic view of the profession.
2. Build Clinical Experience
Medical schools value applicants with meaningful clinical experience and scribing is a great way to fulfill this requirement. Unlike traditional shadowing, which can be passive, scribing places you in an active role within the healthcare team.
3. Develop Medical School Competencies
Scribing helps you develop many of the core competencies medical schools look for in applicants, including communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and attention to detail. You’ll also become more comfortable with medical terminology, which will help you when it’s time to take courses like anatomy, physiology, and pathology in medical school.
4. Prepare for the Future
The skills you gain as a scribe—multitasking, thinking on your feet, and understanding medical records—will serve you well throughout your medical career. Additionally, the relationships you build with physicians and other healthcare providers can lead to mentorship and guidance during your medical school application process.
Conclusion
Medical scribing offers a unique opportunity for premeds to gain clinical experience, learn from healthcare providers, and build skills essential for medical school. Whether you’re looking to confirm your interest in medicine or bolster your medical school application, scribing is an invaluable stepping stone on your journey to becoming a physician.
Scribing and clinical experience are essential for your application, but don’t forget the other parts! Whether you need help with your MCAT score and are looking for the best MCAT prep or you need to boost your medical school application with some help from expert Med School Admissions Consultants, Blueprint MCAT is here to help you every step of the way.
