My big issues...
-Limited scope. Your only job is to write the records, and make the doctors lives easier - and management makes that very clear. You are generally discouraged/prohibited altogether from actually touching any animals or learning skills outside of writing a record and anticipating the needs of others.
-There is really no structural support or managerial interest in scribe education or advancement. Other positions have educational goals and milestones, trainers to teach and help keep them accountable for growing. Scribes have nothing like that.
-If you're taking the job to observe how a veterinary hospital works, you'll be set. If you're looking to come out with marketable/transferable skills, this is not the position for you. Do not waste your time.
-In my experience, scribes were only allowed to work Fridays-Mondays, so very limited options there scheduling-wise.
-Additionally, they don't seem to hire a lot of scribes. (I wonder if they are phasing them out?) Oftentimes, I was the only scribe in the hospital. I think there is a lot of value in being on shift with people who share the same position as you. It helps you feel supported; you have someone that understands and shares your experience. A lot of times I didn't have that, and it took me a long time to realize I wasn't alone in my position-specific frustrations.
-The position can be a blow to your self-confidence. Because the "scope" of a scribe is so specific, and limited, they don't teach you how to do anything else. You might watch people who were hired the same time as you, or even after you, surpass you in developing skills. The rest of the team might treat you like you can't do anything else, and after a while, you might start to believe it. At least that is how I felt.
My smaller issues...
-Sometimes you might spend the whole day writing for a doctor who erases everything you write anyway.
-Disappointing pay ($19 an hour living in one of the most expensive cities in the US).
In terms of the client experience...
-This isn't by any means exclusive to VEG (the entire field is a mess, healthcare in the country really, for human and non-human animals) but the prices of care can be just devastating.
In conclusion...
Your ability to grow in this position can be extremely limited, so enter into it wisely, and when it is your time to go - GO.
