Phlebotomy or Scribe?

[Threemethylcholanthrene]

Hi all,

Soon I will be receiving my phlebotomy certification after about 7 weeks of school and 4 weeks of externship at my local hospital (Banner). I have a strong chance at working full time as a phlebotomist after my externship due to the experience and connections I have gained at Banner.

However, I am a scribe at an orthopedic office who was just recently hired. I make about $10/hr as a scribe and am gaining a lot of physician shadowing hours due to the nature of the work. However, these two might be incompatible with each other due to the amount of hours i'd have to commit to each.

I need some advice: If these two are indeed incompatible, which do you think will be the most beneficial for trying to get into MD? Any advice is really appreciated. Thank you!

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[aldol16]

First off, you shouldn't give identifying information, especially where you will eventually end up working (along with the specific position).

Second, there won't be a difference in either in helping you get into medical school. Both give patient experience in very different ways. As a phlebotomist, you get extensive patient experience in terms of providing (some) care. As a scribe, you might get some patient experience and you'll get an understanding for how doctors think.

So the deciding factor here should be a combination of which job excites you more and any financial considerations. Scribing requires very little skill and so the corresponding salary is understandably lower than that of a phlebotomist in most circumstances (though not necessarily all). So you should take these factors into account when you're trying to pick a job - not which one will "help" you more because neither will make or break you.

 

[Tenk]

In general scribing offers a lot more learning potential and better exposure as you are communicating directly with a physician during the entire shift.

I'd personally pick scribing if your goal is med school.

 

[femmegoblue]

My phlebotomy job pays $15, and I believe in most places it pays around the same. They both are just a job with some exposure on med school apps, so take the one that pays more. Plus drawing blood is actually really fun, and you can file it under "direct patient care" experience!

 

[qtompkin]

My phlebotomy job pays $15, and I believe in most places it pays around the same. They both are just a job with some exposure on med school apps, so take the one that pays more. Plus drawing blood is actually really fun, and you can file it under "direct patient care" experience!

Second this. I'd say phlebotomy is better because of the direct patient care. As a phlebotomist you'll interact with patients with every personality type and from every imaginable walk of life on a daily basis, and it will make you much better at talking to people than scribing will.

 

[ChrisMack390]

I never scribed, but I always thought it sounded PAINFULLY boring. I liked doing phlebotomy though - it gives you a chance to actually interact with patients, which I think is much better both for personal growth and med school applications. You can talk about helping to calm patients' nervous and such.

 

[CastleG8]

Security guard. That's what I do. I study on the job.
Scribe sounds boring. I would take phlebotomy.

 

[SValley]

Both jobs have a repetition factor, right? So saying "scribing sounds incredibly boring" is one sided. Drawing blood and sticking needles can get pretty boring as well. Not to mention the latter is not representative of what your daily tasks would be as a physician (excluding specialties for the sake of simplicity). In certain hospital settings, MDs do not start IV access. Nurses and techs do. The skill will eventually become unimportant in the grand scheme of your career.

With scribing (strong bias for inpatient scribing due to diversity of cases, learning how to complete an admission H&P, progress/consult/discharge note, etc) you are literally attached to a physician's hip for 8-12 hours per shift. You see what they see. You understand what they think. It's an incredible experience if you're looking to get *any* insight on what your day would look like as a practicing physician. Plus, ample opportunity to get close with several physicians inside and outside of your specialty. Want a substantial physician LOR? Scribe. Not only can they attest to your professionalism, they can vouch for actual skills you'll need to be an efficient clinician. Because really, 40% of medical care is documentation.

N=1 experience. I am an inpatient & trauma scribe. I round on uncomplicated CHF exacerbation patients one day, and the next day scribe for a GCS 8 MVC patient in the trauma bay. I've built rapport with the Hospitalists, ED, Trauma, Neurosurgery and CT surgery departments. I will be entering medical school knowing how to document effectively, knowing how to preround/round, perform a med rec, understanding diff styles of patient interviewing, not to mention the breath of medical terminology which is now second nature. I can learn how to stick a needle later.

If any of those skills/opportunities are what you're looking for, scribe. If you're looking for extra cash and one type of patient exposure become a phlebotomist.

 

[takeurmeds02]

Beautifully written @SValley

In the long-run, scribing will get you further so long as you treat each day as a learning experience. I learned so much and it has helped immensely in medschool. There will come a point where everyone's knowledge-base will start to level out but scribing definitely gives you a leg up on the material and real-world perspective. Often you hear medstudents say that it's hard learning the material without any context; scribing will give you a lot of that context.

It also gives you a basal level of patient contact and a sight at what real medicine looks like so when you get out into the hospitals/clinics, you have a better idea of what the hell is going on. You're writing the history in most cases, learning how to filter what's important and what's garbage. You're learning what all is entailed in a physical exam and what certain findings mean. You're learning medical decision making as the physician dictates it. You're learning how to document (super important in this day and age).

In my opinion, as a scribe, you're learning to think like a doctor. As a phlebotomist, you're just drawing blood.

 

[kay815]

Both jobs have a repetition factor, right? So saying "scribing sounds incredibly boring" is one sided. Drawing blood and sticking needles can get pretty boring as well. Not to mention the latter is not representative of what your daily tasks would be as a physician (excluding specialties for the sake of simplicity). In certain hospital settings, MDs do not start IV access. Nurses and techs do. The skill will eventually become unimportant in the grand scheme of your career.

With scribing (strong bias for inpatient scribing due to diversity of cases, learning how to complete an admission H&P, progress/consult/discharge note, etc) you are literally attached to a physician's hip for 8-12 hours per shift. You see what they see. You understand what they think. It's an incredible experience if you're looking to get *any* insight on what your day would look like as a practicing physician. Plus, ample opportunity to get close with several physicians inside and outside of your specialty. Want a substantial physician LOR? Scribe. Not only can they attest to your professionalism, they can vouch for actual skills you'll need to be an efficient clinician. Because really, 40% of medical care is documentation.

N=1 experience. I am an inpatient & trauma scribe. I round on uncomplicated CHF exacerbation patients one day, and the next day scribe for a GCS 8 MVC patient in the trauma bay. I've built rapport with the Hospitalists, ED, Trauma, Neurosurgery and CT surgery departments. I will be entering medical school knowing how to document effectively, knowing how to preround/round, perform a med rec, understanding diff styles of patient interviewing, not to mention the breath of medical terminology which is now second nature. I can learn how to stick a needle later.

If any of those skills/opportunities are what you're looking for, scribe. If you're looking for extra cash and one type of patient exposure become a phlebotomist.

Beautifully written @SValley

In the long-run, scribing will get you further so long as you treat each day as a learning experience. I learned so much and it has helped immensely in medschool. There will come a point where everyone's knowledge-base will start to level out but scribing definitely gives you a leg up on the material and real-world perspective. Often you hear medstudents say that it's hard learning the material without any context; scribing will give you a lot of that context.

It also gives you a basal level of patient contact and a sight at what real medicine looks like so when you get out into the hospitals/clinics, you have a better idea of what the hell is going on. You're writing the history in most cases, learning how to filter what's important and what's garbage. You're learning what all is entailed in a physical exam and what certain findings mean. You're learning medical decision making as the physician dictates it. You're learning how to document (super important in this day and age).

In my opinion, as a scribe, you're learning to think like a doctor. As a phlebotomist, you're just drawing blood.

+2 for the scribing experience. The insight I've gotten into the MDM process, the things I've learned about medical terminology / hospital flow / daily life as an MD, not to mention the networking opportunities (building great relationships with MDs, letters of rec, etc), are really the unique aspects of scribing that I think most people overlook. Never was a phlebotomist, but I'd scribe again in a heartbeat.

 

[CastleG8]

Scribing sounds like such a premed thing to do, which is probably why I never found a scribe opportunity in my area. Definately go for it. It sounds like those that scribe gain some valuable experience while getting paid. Win-win.

I spend my work shift chasing raccoons from the garbage before they knock everything down. Brb, I heard a noise outside.

 

[Threemethylcholanthrene]

Scribing sounds like such a premed thing to do, which is probably why I never found a scribe opportunity in my area. Definately go for it. It sounds like those that scribe gain some valuable experience while getting paid. Win-win.

I spend my work shift chasing raccoons from the garbage before they knock everything down. Brb, I heard a noise outside.

Quite literally everyone at the office is either premed or pre-PA. Majority pre-PA but then again I work with all females.

 

[Threemethylcholanthrene]

I really appreciate the information. Thank you everyone that replied.

 

[mistafab]

I vote phleb.

 

[kamakazi5]

Between those two I would vote scribe. If you want more patient care experience then I would look into PCT, they don't make quite as much as a phlebotomist but still more than a scribe. I've really enjoyed my time as a PCT and have gotten exactly what I want out if it which was to make sure I can actually handle directly dealing with patients and their families.

I'll have 7+ years to learn to be a doctor and I feel much better about what I'm getting into.

 

[Facu_]

Phlebotomist in the ER if you can. You become a vital team member of the medical team and often times have to work under some pretty hectic circumstances. Scribing is so common nowadays I almost feel it's becoming cliche. Might just be a personal opinion, but that's how I see it.

 

[ZPakEffect]

Pick the job where you will actually learn things valuable to your future as a physician. Be a scribe.