If you want a role in the healthcare field, starting off as a medical scribe may be the best option for you. As a medical scribe, you will gain valuable hands-on experience that will be incredibly beneficial for your future endeavors. Here is a career guide for medical scribing, helping you understand the duties you will perform, average salaries, and common requirements.
Medical Scribe Duties
Before applying to become a medical scribe, it’s essential that you’re aware of the duties and responsibilities you will face. Typical duties include transcribing patient appointments, managing two patients, facilitating diagnostic tests, assisting the physician with patient care, maintaining a clean, professional and safe working environment, as well as helping to train new members of the team. Long working hours are associated with medical scribing, so it’s important that you are committed to the role.
Typical Salary
If you are working as a medical scribe in the United States, the average salary is $12.11 per hour. Typical salaries of a medical scribe range between $9.64 – $17.57 per hour, however, with medical scribe positions being available across the country and the world, you will need to look into average salaries near you.
Common Requirements
There are various skills that you will need to possess in order to work as a medical scribe. You will need to type proficiently in order to succeed as you will be jotting down information which needs to be done accurately and quickly. While a medical scribe is not expected to carry heavy objects, long shifts are commonplace, meaning that a high level of motivation and commitment is key. What’s more, medical scribes should have brilliant organization skills and knowledge of medical terminology.
Learning Valuable Skills
Once you become a medical scribe, there is a plethora of skills and attributes that you will gain, which can be valuable for your future medical career. Medical scribes need to work alongside physicians and other professionals to complete tasks according to plan. As you will be engaging with patients each day, a level of empathy is important for keeping the patient relaxed and calm. Understanding patients’ needs and providing reassurance can make all the difference.
Medial Scribe Programs
Once you have decided that medical scribing is right for you, you should enroll in a medical scribes program. In your application, you should clearly state that you want to pursue a career in medicine. Having a resume and cover letter that reflects your interests and qualifications is important. Make sure that your application is well written, informative, and professional. Hiring managers often lean towards students who want a career in medicine, as they are usually armed with terminology and know how the hospital process works.
To succeed as a medial scribe, there is a range of attributes that you must possess, such as being able to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues, as well as having the right qualifications to enter the role. While many see medical scribing as a stepping stone to their future career, you will gain valuable skills and experience that you can utilize in any career.
