Hear What Medical Scribes Have To Say About Their Role
“If I could give one piece of advice to anyone seeking a career in medicine, it would be to spend (at least) a year scribing. Without a doubt, my experience scribing in an Emergency Department has prepared me for medical school more than anything else I’ve done.”
Katherine Y. – MS4
“I would not be the nurse I am now if it weren’t for scribing! Not only did scribing give me the opportunity to attain my dream position at a Level I Trauma facility, but it allowed me to quickly adapt to being a new nurse in the Emergency Department. Scribing has shaped my nursing practice in how I chart, communicate with doctors and other healthcare professionals, advocate for my patients, think critically, and endless other skills that will stay with me throughout my nursing journey.”
Tara K. – ER RN
“Working as a scribe in the Emergency Department has served me time and time again throughout medical school. In my basic science courses, I already knew most of the clinical correlates, including anatomy terms, drug names, and procedure indications. In my clinical rotations, I already had exposure to working in a healthcare setting on a team and was able to appreciate nuances that otherwise might have been missed; I was able to learn while still contributing to the work that needed to be done, which allowed me to stand out as a student. In my final year of medical school, I can already tell that the skills that I learned as a scribe will serve me in residency and beyond.”
Jessica S. – MD
“As an ER scribe, you get to see a wide variety of diseases, traumas, and procedures just to name a few. It prepared me tremendously for school as I became knowledgeable with diagnostic workups, diagnoses, and treatment plans. When learning about different diseases during PA school, it helped that I already had a strong fundamental understanding of them. It was one of the best things I could have done prior to getting into school.”
Kristan M. – PAS3
“ER scribing was a great experience for me. Scribing gave me an opportunity to be truly immersed in patient care which helped me decide if medicine was something I really wanted to do. I really feel that it gave me a leg up when I went on physician assistant training.”
April J. – PA, Level One Center, Trauma Surgery
“Scribing in the emergency room was an invaluable experience that provided genuine insight into the world of healthcare. Working closely with dedicated doctors allowed me to see what it takes to be an effective healthcare provider. The experience not only honed my teamwork and communication skills but also instilled a strong work ethic. The mentorship from exceptional doctors played a pivotal role in shaping me as an individual. And as an added benefit, it gave me a head start on medical knowledge, proving to be a valuable foundation as I entered medical school!”
Greg T. – MS1
“I would have never imagined where scribing would have taken me. I gained so much more than experience and knowledge, but also friendships. Now as a successful Critical Care nurse, I also work alongside of other previous scribes that are nurses and medical residents, and together to complete the dream team of patient care. I’m so proud of all my old scribe coworkers. We remain close like a family! That might be too cheesy but I also cannot express how amazing scribing has made a difference in my life. I’ll leave the part out where I found my husband during a shift.”
Jamie M. – Critical Care RN
“Scribing was an eye opening experience which showed me the complexities of the healthcare system. Observing ways in which many different physicians ask questions, interact with the patients, and provide patient care gave me an invaluable experience. It has already proved helpful in medical school and will no doubt help me have a toolbox for the future challenges I will encounter as a physician.”
Emi C. – MS3
“Becoming a scribe is why I am a nurse today. It gave me the opportunity to witness numerous professions in the ED, and I gravitated towards nursing. I’m a nurse because you guys gave me the perfect job. You ER doctors mean a lot to me!”
Samantha A. – Critical Care RN
“Being a scribe exposed me not only to emergency medicine, but demonstrated the challenge and rewards of a career in healthcare firsthand, most of my bedside communication is modeled after physicians I was a scribe for. Being a scribe helped me be more confident in medical school and in patient interactions after being bedside watching 30 different physicians and their patient encounters as a scribe.”
Anant P. – DO, Assistant Residency Director EM
“ER scribing gave me both an incredible opportunity to have an inside look into medicine as well as a huge upper hand when I started medical school. I feel that my time scribing was the single best thing I did to prepare and succeed in medical school!”
Quinn L. – MD, R1 Trauma Surgery
“Working as an ER scribe not only set me apart from other applicants for medical school but also exposed me to numerous specialties to help me decide my future path. It also gave me confidence entering medical school with a good overall base knowledge of what to expect on rotations and an appreciation of how all specialties can work together.”
Emily J. – DO, ENT/Plastic Surgery
“Being a scribe was really my gateway into the medical field. It was by chance that I even heard about scribing- I remember being in the TCU library and overhearing some Biology upperclassmen talking about their upcoming interviews for the scribe job at Harris. That sparked my attention, and the rest is history. That was 2008, and nearly half my lifetime ago. I am grateful for the opportunities that the scribe position has granted me, both professionally and personally. I actually met my wife working for the scribe company. My time as a scribe gave me lifelong friendships and networking opportunities. The majority of these friends are now doctors and nurses, that I personally work with every day! But most of all, my time as a scribe helped pave the way for a career in healthcare by allowing me to experience real-world patient presentations, and seeing how the physicians diagnosed and worked-up disease. It was really an immersion in the day-to-day operations of the ED.”
Paul H. – ED, RN
“Being a scribe during undergrad really confirmed my passion for medicine. It opened my eyes to different areas of medicine, and it helped me see the true meaning of patient care in both emergent and non-emergent cases. It also prepared me for PA school by giving me a foundation in documentation and different disease processes, all of which put me one step ahead of my classmates.”
Arya M. – PA
“Being a scribe obviously shaped my journey because that’s where I met Emily! And having the knowledge from working in the ED as part of the team was very impactful to my career. Being able to already speak the language of medicine made it much easier to focus on patients and interactions in medical school. It made the process of differential diagnosis second nature and made medical school much more filling in gaps and polishing skills rather than experiencing the world of medicine for the first time. Even the steps in procedures were nearly second nature because I’d written out the steps so many times already. I also learned the importance of working in teams to best care for patients. I had to recognize my role and if that meant cramming myself in the corner of a trauma bay to record times and specifics of procedures in real-time to help accurately record a resuscitation, I was more than happy to play that role. As I progressed in my career, my role became closer and more important to the patient. Yet I already had that understanding of the importance that everyone in the room had in their roles and despite now being the doctor, everyone in the room had knowledge and significant contributions to patient care. I was also privy to the administrative aspect of managing people and ensuring shifts were covered and the program ran as smoothly as possible. This gave me additional skills that I use daily to help manage teams. Aside from family and medical school/residency, scribing was one of the most formative experiences and had one of the biggest influences on the physician that I am today.”
Eric J. – MD, Anesthesiologist
“Scribing in the ER helped prepare me for a life in medicine. The vast experiences it provided, the knowledge it gave me and the people it connected me with were invaluable. It should be a prerequisite for medical school.”
Angela C. – MD, Rheumatologist
“My 23 years at Harris Fort Worth started in the ER as a scribe! As a scribe I learned a lot of medical terminology and different disease processes and treatments which gave me a head start for nursing school. It also provided a path to network with current nurses and led to my first job as an RN.”
“If I could give one piece of advice to anyone seeking a career in medicine, it would be to spend (at least) a year scribing. Without a doubt, my experience scribing in an Emergency Department has prepared me for medical school more than anything else I’ve done.”
