Pros
-Job possibly gives you an edge for medical school -Exposure to healthcare (know how the healthcare team works) -You do get to work one-on-one with a doctor (LOR anyone?) -Learn about diseases and treatment -Learned a lot and solidified by passion for medicine, not scribing, even after a few days of horrible floor training.
Cons
-NO direct patient contact (which is what med schools want) -Working here feels demeaning at times. I worked as a senior undergrad research assistant, teacher assistant, etc., with higher pay, health benefits, AND better treatment. At least I had 1 hr lunches then! And I had an understanding management that INVESTED and UNDERSTOOD that learning takes time! Man, I didn't realize how good I had it back then! -Crappy pay where fast-food workers get paid more than you, despite the high stress (good thing I live with my bf who pays all the bills, otherwise, I'd be living on the streets) -Inconsistent training means if you do something you were taught, but your current trainer does not like, it means you are doing a bad job. And you're at risk for termination! -Unfair treatment: I'm borderline getting fired because the QAS does not personally like me (this is not high school, this is a JOB with people's lives on the line) -Unrealistic: Due to shortage in scribes, I was expected to be at an expert speed (where it usually takes months, words of other scribes I worked with), in a matter of a few days. -At least be understanding that things take TIME to learn! Invest in your employees! You're losing money firing people while in clinical training, then hiring more people to replace them. Very unproductive! -Unprofessional: Chiefs ignoring trainer's approval for trainees to be an independent scribe because her "bestie" QAS recommended otherwise. -Toxic environment: QAS and chiefs gossiping to doctors about other doctors. And even talking crap about other scribes. -Very immature and young pre-med staff (18-22 years old), who see you as a competitive threat. PATIENT CARE SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST, NOT YOUR EGO. great future doctors, by the way (sarcasm). -Communication: Chiefs and QAS would send multitudes of emails about training, etc., but would not communicate you about your performance. But oh, they would be passive aggressive about it though! By adding unapproved, extra training shifts, but you would not know why unless you ask them directly! -Being punished for taking 10 mins to eat my lunch (violating labor laws much? After 10 hrs of being on my feet, I just want something to eat! I guess that's TOO much to ask). -Hours VERY long, stressful, and horrendous due to staff treatment. Doctors and other medical staff are nice though. Chiefs and some other scribes? Not so much. -Being initially placed with slow-medium providers, then suddenly being assigned to a VERY fast provider that even seasoned scribes have trouble keeping up with. Then saying that I'm too slow and I'm at risk for termination. -I can seriously go on and on.