For Scribes
To understand the relatively new medical staff member, the medical scribe, you need to understand the history of medical documentation.
Up until the 1990s, medical scribes did not exist. Healthcare providers documented all of their notes by hand, which were often illegible to everyone except the writer. With the tech boom in the 1990s and the advent of computers and the internet, it became enticing to use this new technology to record and share patient information more easily. To incentivize electronic medical records (EMRs) the U.S. Government offered huge subsidies to organizations that adopted them. However, to obtain these subsidies there was a catch: medical notes must now include several additional components. This requirement significantly increased the amount of time that healthcare providers spent on their charts compared to paper charting. And so, in the mid-2000s, the medical scribe industry began.
The main role of the medical scribe is to record—into the electronic chart—the detailed information from a patient’s visit with a provider. First and foremost this allows the healthcare provider to focus on patient care and can save them several hours of charting after each shift. The medical chart also serves as a billing tool, legal document, and quality control resource.
In practice, medical scribes can drastically improve the quality of life of the providers they work for. High-volume facilities like ERs were the first to utilize scribes because of the limited time for documentation between patients. After an 8 hour shift no provider wants to sit down for another 2 hours and describe what they did and why they did it. Medical scribes allow providers to go home earlier and enjoy life, not typing.
As a scribe you will work directly with a single provider and follow them into patient rooms as the obtain the history and perform a physical exam. You will take notes during this encounter, either on paper or on a computer, and while the provider enters orders (for labs, radiology studies, medications, etc.) you will have a little time to use your notes and write a thorough, eloquent medical note.
Up until the 1990s, medical scribes did not exist. Healthcare providers documented all of their notes by hand, which were often illegible to everyone except the writer. With the tech boom in the 1990s and the advent of computers and the internet, it became enticing to use this new technology to record and share patient information more easily. To incentivize electronic medical records (EMRs) the U.S. Government offered huge subsidies to organizations that adopted them. However, to obtain these subsidies there was a catch: medical notes must now include several additional components. This requirement significantly increased the amount of time that healthcare providers spent on their charts compared to paper charting. And so, in the mid-2000s, the medical scribe industry began.
The main role of the medical scribe is to record—into the electronic chart—the detailed information from a patient’s visit with a provider. First and foremost this allows the healthcare provider to focus on patient care and can save them several hours of charting after each shift. The medical chart also serves as a billing tool, legal document, and quality control resource.
In practice, medical scribes can drastically improve the quality of life of the providers they work for. High-volume facilities like ERs were the first to utilize scribes because of the limited time for documentation between patients. After an 8 hour shift no provider wants to sit down for another 2 hours and describe what they did and why they did it. Medical scribes allow providers to go home earlier and enjoy life, not typing.
As a scribe you will work directly with a single provider and follow them into patient rooms as the obtain the history and perform a physical exam. You will take notes during this encounter, either on paper or on a computer, and while the provider enters orders (for labs, radiology studies, medications, etc.) you will have a little time to use your notes and write a thorough, eloquent medical note.
Applicants
Most medical scribes are juniors or seniors in college or recent college graduates that decide to take a "gap year" before their graduate studies. We hire students to work part-time at our urgent care or emergency department facilities and we hire full-time employees for every clinical setting.
You don't need any experience to become a clinical scribe, just a strong work ethic and a few basic requirements:
You don't need any experience to become a clinical scribe, just a strong work ethic and a few basic requirements:
- Be reliable and punctual
- Accept and learn from constructive criticism
- Have a reliable mode of transportation
- Have the availability to work 1-2 shifts per week for > 12 months.
Benefits
There are many benefits to becoming a medical scribe. First, the clinical knowledge that comes from working as a medical scribe is unparalleled for pre-health students. You will hear patients relay their histories, witness their physical exam, and write their notes. After hundreds of patients, you will develop skills and knowledge that is unobtainable in any other pre-medical experience.
The majority of our scribes plan on applying to PA or medical school and we will help with personal statements and, if warranted, a letter of recommendation for any employees applying for one of these programs. For those that apply for one of these programs after working with us for a full year, we have a nearly 100% acceptance rate.
The majority of our scribes plan on applying to PA or medical school and we will help with personal statements and, if warranted, a letter of recommendation for any employees applying for one of these programs. For those that apply for one of these programs after working with us for a full year, we have a nearly 100% acceptance rate.
Training
You don't need any specific experience as a medical scribe because we teach you everything you need to know. If hired, you will be signed up for online training that was designed in-house specifically for employees of Clinical Scribes LLC. It will teach you about HIPAA, medical terminology, the medical note and how to write it, important clinical medicine, and billing and coding principles. All of this training is paid and you can do it from the comfort of your own home or a local coffee shop—as long as you complete it before your first shift.
You will then start training at your particular clinical site under the supervision and guidance of a scribe trainer. Gradually, you will learn how to write notes more accurately, eloquently and quickly over a period of 5-10 supervised shifts.
You will then start training at your particular clinical site under the supervision and guidance of a scribe trainer. Gradually, you will learn how to write notes more accurately, eloquently and quickly over a period of 5-10 supervised shifts.
Locations
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Greater Minneapolis Area
Coon Rapids
Dermatology Eden Prairie Dermatology Fridley Dermatology Maple Grove Dermatology Ob/gyn Minneapolis Family Practice Neurosurgery Ob/gyn Dermatology Plymouth Family Practice Shakopee Emergency Department Urgent Care Inpatient (hospital) |
Greater Denver Area
Arvada
Family Practice Denver Family Practice Golden Family Practice Lakewood Family Practice Westminster Family Practice |
Interested in starting a scribe program in your area?
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Past Scribes
Past scribes that have worked with us have gone on to numerous medical schools programs across the United States. Some of these medical institutions include:
And we have had nearly as many scribes go on to physician assistant (PA) school and flourish. Our past scribes have gone on to schools like:
- A.T. Still University
- Creighton University
- Des Moines University
- Eastern Virginia School of Medicine
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Rocky Vista University
- University of Colorado Denver (CU)
- University of Iowa
- University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- University of Minnesota - Duluth
- University of Toledo
- Wake Forest University
And we have had nearly as many scribes go on to physician assistant (PA) school and flourish. Our past scribes have gone on to schools like:
- Augsburg College
- Bethel University
- Marquette University
- Missouri State University
- Salus University
