2 answers
Ebony
Student
Bronxville, New York
1
Question
Asked
329 views
How do I go about getting a job as a medical scribe?
I am working towards gaining experience in the medical field to build up my resume for medical school.
2 answers
Marie Enos MSN, BSN, RN-NIC
RN
71
Answers
Huntsville, Alabama
Updated
Marie’s Answer
Medical scribes work alongside healthcare providers to enhance the delivery of care, reduce administrative burden, and improve care team workflow. The good news is, it doesn't take very long to become a medical scribe. You will be getting an excellent salary as a medical scribe, and perhaps even more than some others around you. Skills needed to be a medical scribe include Typing Proficiency, Excellent Organizational Skills, Knowledge of Medical Terminology,
Ability to Multitask, and Reliability. You need to be able to type 60 wpm or faster.
To start you need to take a scribe training course. The cost of course is between 400-6,000 dollars. So courses are free. They are paid job opportunity. A medical scribe certification course may be offered fully in-person, fully online, or in a hybrid format. They offer classes in topics such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical office workflow, insurance and billing, etc. The time spent on online classes is longer the in-person classes. The is more clinical opportunities with in-person classes then online. Benefit of online training is that you go at your own pace.
Some of the medical scribe training programs offered through community and technical colleges do not award certificates of completion, but rather make successful students eligible to sit for the Medical Scribe Certification & Aptitude Test (MSCAT) for certification. MSCAT courses tend to be on the high side, depending on instate or out of state tuition.
Ability to Multitask, and Reliability. You need to be able to type 60 wpm or faster.
To start you need to take a scribe training course. The cost of course is between 400-6,000 dollars. So courses are free. They are paid job opportunity. A medical scribe certification course may be offered fully in-person, fully online, or in a hybrid format. They offer classes in topics such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical office workflow, insurance and billing, etc. The time spent on online classes is longer the in-person classes. The is more clinical opportunities with in-person classes then online. Benefit of online training is that you go at your own pace.
Some of the medical scribe training programs offered through community and technical colleges do not award certificates of completion, but rather make successful students eligible to sit for the Medical Scribe Certification & Aptitude Test (MSCAT) for certification. MSCAT courses tend to be on the high side, depending on instate or out of state tuition.
Mary Jane Shroyer
Director of Health Professions Career Community
116
Answers
Grinnell, Iowa
Updated
Mary Jane’s Answer
Hi, Ebony! In my experience, most scribes are hired either through a local medical system or through a placement agency that contracts with the local system. Your best bet for finding a job would be to first search the human resource websites of your nearest hospitals and clinics to see if they have any scribe positions listed. If that doesn't turn up any opportunities, look into companies like ScribeAmerica and ProScribe, which may have contracts in your region. Once you determine which company has the bulk of the contracts in the city where you would like to work, then you can contact them to see if they have openings and what is needed for you to get hired.
I do not recommend my premedical students pay for scribe training unless absolutely necessary. Many places that utilize scribes will have training as part of the onboarding process so unless the medical systems in your area require independent training, there is usually no need for you to pay for that out of pocket.
Just a warning, many scribing agencies want you to commit to working for at least 12 months if they invest in training you, which can be challenging if you attend college out of state, so you might also ask about opportunities to work virtually or to transfer to a different hospital during the school year/summer if you plan to move around for school during the year. Good luck!
I do not recommend my premedical students pay for scribe training unless absolutely necessary. Many places that utilize scribes will have training as part of the onboarding process so unless the medical systems in your area require independent training, there is usually no need for you to pay for that out of pocket.
Just a warning, many scribing agencies want you to commit to working for at least 12 months if they invest in training you, which can be challenging if you attend college out of state, so you might also ask about opportunities to work virtually or to transfer to a different hospital during the school year/summer if you plan to move around for school during the year. Good luck!
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