Does working as a medical scribe count as clinical experience? Well, it depends. Working as a scribe is not qualified as US clinical experience per se. Yet, many medical schools may accept it as clinical experience when taking your application – you should verify it with the school you plan to apply for.
As such, working as a scribe can help you get into medical school but will not serve as a sufficient basis when applying for residency. Nevertheless, even in the latter case, the experience you gain as a medical scribe will prove invaluable, so it is good to gather it. Do you want to learn more? Keep reading!
Is Working as a Medical Scribe Considered Clinical Experience?
As a pre-med student or someone well in their studies, you are probably looking for opportunities to get practical experience in healthcare. A medical scribe is an excellent choice since it lets you observe the work of physicians in practice. However, one question still remains: is working as a medical scribe considered medical experience? Well, it depends.
If you’re planning to get into medical school, then usually, yes, it will be an experience valued by the admissions. After all, this not only gives you the opportunity to observe the work of physicians but also to use your knowledge of HIPAA and EHR in practice. However, even here, it all depends on the particular program you’re applying for. Therefore, we advise you to check with the school whether it counts working as a scribe as clinical experience.
What if you are looking for residency? Does a medical scribe count as USCE? It won’t be treated as United States Clinical Experience, but it will still be a valuable experience that will increase your chances when put into your CV. Moreover, as a medical scribe, you will get practical knowledge of EHR. This, in turn, will make your first few days of residency much easier, letting you focus entirely on becoming a fully-fledged physician.
What about physician assistant (PA) school? Does a medical scribe count as clinical experience for applications there? The case here is similar to med schools – it all depends on the particular school your applying for.
Even If Medical Scribe Does not Count as USCE, It’s a Valuable Experience
Despite the fact that working as a medical scribe won’t qualify as USCE per se, it is still an experience that you want to gather. Why? There are two reasons behind that.
- Enriching your CV – The fact that you worked as a medical scribe will make your resume more attractive overall.
- Gaining practical experience – One of the main challenges for fresh residents is navigating the EHR. With experience as a medical scribe, this will no longer be a problem, and you will be able to focus fully on clinical work.
Additionally, if you pick a specialized medical scribe program, such as a cardiology medical scribe, you can still get even more practical experience. After all, you will observe an experienced physician in your desired field for a year, so you are bound to get some more hands-on knowledge.
Finally, working as a medical scribe is the perfect way to get a letter of recommendation – especially if you are working only with one or two physicians. Such a letter can further increase your chances (whether it’s a residency program or an application to medical school), which adds to the benefits of working as a medical scribe.
The Takeaway
Does working as a medical scribe count as clinical experience for medical school, physician assistant school, or USCE? It might for the first two (depending on the school) but does not for the last one. Nevertheless, this job is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gather experience that will make your applications even stronger, so we still recommend signing up for a scribe program.
Did you like this article? Then we also recommend reading: Does Medical Scribe Count for PA School?
