what does a medical scribe do and how can I become one?

Feb 16

what are the benefits of being a medical scribe?

Many medical school applicants come in with scribing experience and undoubtedly feel like it was a great way to learn about medicine, medical terminology, and build relationships with physicians, staff, and patients. Becoming a medical scribe not only shows medical schools that you are committed to patient care, but that you have taken the time to really delve into what it’s like to work in a medical setting.

One of the best benefits of being a scribe is that you get a head start on your clinical skills and medical knowledge. You’ll learn how a medical office functions, the varied and nuanced medical issues that patients face, the various challenges that physicians have in helping patients get the treatments they need, and the different roles all staff have to help the office function optimally. You’ll also build great bedside manner and gain the confidence to discuss complex issues with patients in a way that is understandable to them; all great skills to help you feel prepared and knowledgeable well before you start standardized patient encounters and clinical rotations.

Having a scribe in a medical practice also helps create a productive and positive environment for patients and their physicians. The American Medical Association did a study in 2018 that examined the impact that scribes have on 18 primary care physicians in the Kaiser Healthcare system for over 1 year. They found that scribes:

Improved patient interactions
Increased physician satisfaction and wellness
Enhanced team work in the office
Allowed for increasing patient volume
Helped mitigate physician burnout

So, what does a medical scribe do?

With many doctors having about 15-20 minutes to see each patient, an effective medical scribe is critical to the efficiency of the physician, while also giving them the maximal face-to-face time with the patient without being encumbered with the responsibility of also documenting, while facing a computer. A scribe not only documents the physician-patient encounter, but they also may have to update medical records for accuracy, or input data into the medical record. They may also be asked to help with administrative tasks such as calling another healthcare system to obtain office visit and hospitalization records, entering orders, or submitting referrals.

what skills do I need to be a good medical scribe?

While formal training is not required, it can be helpful to go through a class, which can be found at a community college or a trade school. Many schools offer this training online as well so you can do it on your own time. There is no specific certification required to become a scribe, though if you do become a certified scribe, it might increase your chances of not only obtaining a position with higher pay, but it can also be a notable addition to your medical school application. Regardless, most of your training will happen on the job and you will likely discuss a number of topics including:

Basic pharmacology
Office-specific electronic health record training
Office-specific protocols around sending referrals, letting patients know about test results, and policies
Coding and billing
Physician specific preferences for scribing

Personal skills that are helpful to have are an observant eye, a curious mind, a flexible mindset. As a scribe, you are going to see the different dynamics that each physician brings as they manage their patients and how each physician interacts and builds relationships with their patients. There will be times that you will love a certain physician’s style of doing things and other times, you won’t agree; that’s ok, because this is the perfect time to learn what kind of physician YOU want to be with your patients.

where can I get certified as a medical scribe?

The American Documentation Professionals Group (AHDPG) is the most widely recognized organization that provides certification, however there are many others programs you can research. If you choose to get certified, you will have to earn your Apprentice Medical Scribe Professional credential by taking a 100-question multiple-choice, computerized exam. Then, you will have to complete 200 clinical hours to get the official certification for medical scribing. You can find more information about this and training on the AHDPG website.

how can I get hired as a medical scribe?

The best time to start searching for these scribe jobs are in the Spring of you freshman or sophomore year so that you can start that Summer. The Summer of your junior year is likely going to be filled with preparing for medical school applications, so many students choose to have this experience earlier. For those students that are taking a gap year, or for non-traditional students, scribing can be a great way to improve your application, make some money, and get hands-on medical experience.

Most healthcare centers, including hospitals, outpatient offices, and rehab centers hire from various companies including Scribe America, Clinical Scribes LLC, and ProScribe MD. If you decide to work for any of these companies, they will actually train and place you wherever there is a need for scribes. While this is a great way to obtain a position as a scribe, it also can be limiting in that you will need to go wherever there is need. If you end up in a Family Medicine practice, and you are thinking about OBGYN as a potential career option, you may not get the chance to be in that office unless the company has a need to place a scribe there. We encourage students to explore all aspects of medicine, even if you think you know what you want to do, however we want to draw your attention to this one potential downside in working with a company. You can find more information about the major scribing companies at the Medical Scribes Training Institute.

If you choose not to go through a Scribe company, and want to find a job as a scribe, start by talking to anyone you know. You could ask your own doctor, a professor, your pre-med advisor, or even a neighbor to see if anyone knows of anyone looking for a scribe. Sometimes, small, independent practices don’t want to have to pay the fees to hire a scribe through a formal company, so they will train you on-site and pay you independently to do the same thing any of the scribes that are affiliated with larger companies do. You can also just start with a Google or LinkedIn search to see if you can find job opportunities on your own. If you go to a college or a post-bac program with a large medical academic center, check out their job board to see if any of the office practices are looking for scribes.

what are employers looking for in their scribe?

Most employers are looking for enthusiastic, organized, and committed students who also have strong communication and listening skills. While it may take you some time to really understand the language that is being used in the room, there’s a lot you can understand and deduce if you listen carefully to the interaction between the physician and patient. Having experience typing quickly and accurately can also be a bonus skill to have, given how quickly physicians move through their office visits and how important accurate documentation is.

When working on your CV to submit for a scribe position, try to highlight those experiences that show that you’ve had experience with patient care, even if they involve volunteer positions or shadowing experiences. Remember to state clearly in your CV what skills you learned with these experiences and how you benefitted from them. Don’t forget to use key words that are aligned with the skill sets that the employer is looking within their scribe. Under the skills section of your CV, make sure to emphasize any data entry, typing, or communication skills that you think would be attractive and applicable to your role as a scribe.

final thoughts

While any experience that adds to your medical application is important, it’s equally, if not more, important to make sure that you are able to balance your required school work with any extra-circulars you want to participate in. While any medical school would love to see that you’ve spent time as a scribe, it would be disadvantageous if that experience comes at the cost of poor grades and test scores. Most scribes work a minimum of 2 shifts/week which comes out to 18-20 hours/week. In the summer, if you’re not engaging in any summer classes, this could be great, but if you are trying to make up a class or get a better grade, make sure you have a strong plan for both studying and working.

Being a scribe can be a very fulfilling and enriching experience. We believe that this is one of many ways to gain experience working in medicine while also enhancing your medical knowledge. If you choose to spend time working as a scribe, we can promise you that you will learn a diverse set of skills that will be incredibly helpful on your journey to becoming a physician.