Pros
This is a fabulous job if you are looking to get into a higher medical career, such as applying to medical school, PA school, etc. You really truly work right along side the physicians, learning first hand incredible amounts of medical terminology, starting to learn how to read radiology and EKGs (though not perfect and definitely will need more in med school), complicated diagnoses, health issues, concerns, patient care, bed side manner of how you want to act and how you don't want to act, professional workplace politics and seeing how it *really* is to be a physician and work in the medical field. You really really really do learn so so much. If you love words and grammar and are meticulous, this is great; a little goes a long way being a scribe. You have to be able to type quickly, work in a crazy fast environment, adapt, be ok with being seen but not heard, but also once you build a rapport with your doc, then you can start speaking up and asking questions, even adding and asking things about the diagnosis or evaluation. It really *IS* a good job.
Cons
IF we were PAID MORE!!!!! That is the BIGGEST CON. Honestly, the payment for the amount of work we do, the hours we keep, especially as full time?...it is truly despicable. They expect professionalism, an incredible amount of hard work, time put in and value, with high performance and everything, but yet pay us *below the poverty line*. For real. I work full time as a scribe working night shifts and have to have at least 2-3 other jobs during the day and side hustles just to keep a roof over my head and a few groceries in my kitchen. It is honestly despicable. I was at a local big name store the other day and they had a hiring sign saying that the *starting minimum pay* was what our after-training, regular full scribe pay is. Our job requires alot of training, learning, professionalism and work and we are getting paid way less than a menial manual labor job that requires little to no training, education and is not dealing with people's lives. Honestly, it is truly despicable. I understand that this is just a stepping stone job, but why would someone want to put in all this time and effort and training, learning and breaking his back to do this, to try and live on? Full time? Below the poverty line? That is a joke. Seriously. Yes, many use this as a side job while in college one their way to better things, but what if it is not the traditional route and you need it as full time while going your own way to being a doctor or PA? It is sad how they think they can treat us. Not giving full time benefits for over a full year of working for them? Barely a day of PTO after a full year of working? Honestly, it's sad.
