Pros
Flexibility: As long as I am available for two shifts a week I can take off as much time as I want. Shifts: 12 hours. Love this. OT: I pick up a lot of extra shifts. Physician Interaction and Observation: For the most part the physicians are pretty cool and laid back. There are a couple that I avoid if I can, but mostly because they have nervous energy and run around like chickens without heads which drives me crazy because I am very laid back. I've never had a physician be rude to me. Lunch: I take a lunch every day.
Cons
Pay: I understand starting your scribes low because most of them are college students with no work experience. However, there should be a yearly pay increase. Training: I did the online training which did not provide much information on actual scribing. The terms were useful, but little else. I could not have successfully completed a chart based off of that. MDM: I was told I would not be doing the MDM in online training. Wishful lies. It's not bad if you're just doing the initial, differential, and consults, but some physicians want three paragraphs in the ED managements. Dictation: I have no trouble doing the HPI, ROS, PE, EKGs, etc. Some physicians (3 out of 50) want me to do the MDM. I hate doing the MDM. I'm a pretty quick typist, but I cannot keep up with their dictation. I do my best, but it's stressful and never word for word. ED Physicians: They all want their chart done differently, there is no uniform way, and it can be stressful trying to change your charting style every day. Lastly, some of the physicians ask for inappropriate things; perhaps the physicians should know what should be expected from a scribe before taking them on?
