How Much Money Do Medical Scribes Make

Hi LongApple,

The following notes are from my experiences scribing in multiple ERs for a decent size scribe company in Texas:

Typing

When I scribed I had to take a typing test. The test was something generic found online for finding out how fast someone can type in words per minute (wpm). >50 wpm is probably a good baseline.

Interview

The interview I had was basic, and its in my opinion that no special experiences with computers are needed to get hired. Most scribes are pre-health college students or gap year people. They basically asked me why I wanted the job, can I work with a team, how do I take criticism, etc... maybe 10 minutes over video call, followed by setting up training orientation date.

Computer Program

The actual EHR/EMR program varies. Mostly EPIC is used. I had to use one called MedHost. I could never find a way to access this at home to practice, though we did have access to a few videos explaining its basic features.

In addition to the EHR, I used basic text editors (word or notepad) to record notes. Sometimes pen and paper (trauma room didn't allow us to bring laptops in).

No coding is done. Basically the EHR requires a bunch of clicks and paragraphs. When in doubt, ask the doc (or trainer scribe if you are training). Each doc has different preferences. Some want only clicks, some want only paragraphs

Advice

I wouldn't sweat the application too much. If you can get an engineering degree, you have the basic intelligence/diligence to scribe. I think a big factor is your hours/availability since they need people to work the crazy shifts.

I'd apply to several companies. I went with the one that could get me working the quickest (unfortunately it had the lowest pay, but alas I needed the experience for apps).

I also trained new scribes so I'm familiar with common problems new scribes have. Let me know if you have any more questions. :happy: