Pros
- Gained a significant amount of medical knowledge, substantially more than I gained as an EMT. By shadowing physicians over the past 1.5 years I have gained enough clinical knowledge that I can "diagnose" many common illnesses. - Physicians are wonderful to work with - On slow shifts you are basically being paid to complete your own work
Cons
- Pay is borderline minimum wage, janitorial staff at the hospital make more - Almost impossible to qualify for benefits , I work 4-6 shifts a week (36-60 hours) and am still considered "part time" as you must work 36 hours a week for 6 months in a row WITHOUT MISSING A SINGLE WEEK in order to qualify for the incredibly minimal benefits - Difficult to reach full time hours as SA intentionally keeps every program overstaffed as a way to reduce OT pay and compensate for high turnover rates. Be prepared to work only a a dozen hours or so one week then 36+ the next - SA demands perfection from scribes, unless you have outside medical knowledge YOU WILL HAVE TO STUDY ON YOUR OWN TIME in order to be an efficient and competent scribe. - Generally there is nearly no paid time off (if you do get PTO it is so minimal it seems borderline illegal, basically maxing out at a few shifts a year), scheduling is irregular and unpredictable month to month, you are required to work multiple major holidays a year and 2 weekends a month - You will have all of the burdens of being a hospital employee w/ none of the benefits. Hospital will not cover your healthcare costs, your parking costs, you will not qualify for the hospital 401K, etc (e.g. You will however be tested for tuberculosis multiple times a year, require vaccinations, require urine and blood screening for employment, as well as a physical examination as the hospital requires for all of "their" employees.) - You will have coworkers who are generally less than competent that were hired regardless due to the high turnover rate and constant need for new scribes to throw into the grinder. Many scribes display a level of professionalism that is as low as the pay.