As my scribing days are coming to a close as I embark on my new adventure of becoming a medical student, I wanted to describe what scribing is in more detail and why it is so useful. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you’ll see why it is the gold standard pre-med job and the vast learning opportunities built into this job.

Medical scribing is the only paid position that gets you “behind the exam room door” for all visits with a physician. Working as a medical scribe offers a unique behind-the-scenes look into the day-to-day life of a physician and the overall healthcare industry. It’s an experience full of learning and growth, requiring patience, resilience, attention to detail, and profound perseverance to write notes like a doctor without ever having gone to medical school. I’m not sure about others’ experiences, but for me – the expectations are high (and at times, exhausting).

As a scribe, you get to work closely with physicians, observing and documenting all patient encounters. This includes noting down the patient’s history, symptoms, examination results, and the doctor’s diagnosis and treatment plan, sometimes including research supporting this plan. This role has a mostly clerical component, but there is an intangible benefit that is purely educational, as it provides a first-hand understanding of the medical terminology, procedures, and decision-making process involved in patient care. While you may not have been to medical school and understand the nitty-gritty details of medicine, eventually, you learn the association between labs/results or patient complaints to corresponding workups and diagnoses.

On top of that, being a scribe also develops crucial skills such as multitasking, quick and critical thinking, and effective communication. These skills prove to be invaluable to any future premed student. For those aspiring to become a physician such as myself, these experiences provide an excellent foundation. In addition, as a future medical student, you will be required to develop the skills needed to enter a room, gather history, do a physical exam, develop a plan, and write a note all within a few minutes. Seeing this happen on a daily basis with 15-20 patients per day, you will gain the skills required to do this on your own with ease.

However, the role is not without its challenges. It requires the ability to work under pressure, maintain accuracy despite the fast-paced environment, develop and maintaining intellectual curiosity, and handle sensitive information and situations with utmost grace, tact, and confidentiality. Despite these challenges, the rewards and learning opportunities from this role make it a worthwhile experience for those interested in a career as a physician. The amount of information you learn will be invaluable to your future career as you gain familiarity with mundane and complex patient situations, diagnoses, and medical management.

My time working as a scribe has been invaluable. Not only the educational aspect but also seeing my dream job in front of me daily keeps me motivated even on the toughest days!

Keep going!

XO Melmo