Are you thinking about a career in medicine? If yes, working as a medical scribe is the first step to know everything about patient care. Serving as a medical scribe helps you gain significant healthcare experience because you get a chance to work alongside physicians and other healthcare professionals. Most importantly, if you are a pre-med student, working as a medical scribe definitely gives you an edge over others.
The following are some of the top reasons why considering a job as a medical scribe is the best move to make for those interested in the healthcare field.
- Analyze if the medical field is for you or not: Despite big dreams, not everyone is made for medicine. Wondering if you are cut out for a career as a physician? Well, choosing to become a medical scribe is the best way to decide it. Becoming a medical scribe helps you get used to the healthcare world and understand what it is like to work as a healthcare provider. In short, it helps you decide if medical school is the right path for you.
- Gain the experience you need to excel in medical school: As a scribe, working with a physician helps you gain strong clinical experience. You know what a typical day in the life of a physician looks like. You get an opportunity to gain the real-world experience which truly helps you to perform exceptionally well in a medical school. Simply put, working closely with physicians provides you with the experience and exposure you need to succeed in a career in the healthcare field.
- Establish a connection with several healthcare professionals: Being a scribe gives you an opportunity to work with a variety of healthcare providers. You also get to interact with the entire team that helps strengthen your network and add to lots of valuable contacts. Apart from a good resume and excellent grades, building a great professional network of physicians could pave the way for positive recommendation letters. This is again invaluable if you are a pre-med student looking to establish a long-term career in the healthcare industry.
- Enrich your knowledge in medical vocabulary: Understanding and remembering medical terminologies is a daunting task. It is like learning a new language. Because most medical terms are derived from Latin or Greek words. As a medical scribe, you need to be well-versed in medical terminologies. This helps you lay a strong foundation if you choose to pursue medical school.
- Make money while gaining medical experience: Most medical students find it difficult to strike a perfect balance between – learning medicine, earning money, and gaining hands-on experience. Being a medical scribe helps you do it all. You are paid a salary for working alongside a physician at the same time gaining knowledge of what the profession of medicine entails.
If you are intending to pursue a career in medicine in the future, then you will need hands-on experience working in a clinical setting. From taking history and gaining clinical knowledge to mastering medical terminologies, working as a medical scribe is an added advantage. Overall, being a medical scribe helps you prepare for medical school.