Why I Spent My Gap Years Becoming A Medical Scribe

Growing up I always knew I wanted to work in medicine. What I did not have was a clear picture of which career, because the field offers so many paths. Nursing was the only job I really knew, thanks to several relatives who are nurses, and while it is a great career it never felt like mine. So I spent my undergraduate years sampling everything from a physical therapy internship to lab research before deciding I wanted a provider role.

Which Career Path to Follow?

After I decided that I wanted to become a medical provider, I thought about my path. Did I want to become a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner? Each career has its similarities and differences, but I decided to work after college graduation to gain experience in the medical field and see which career path would best fit my career and personal goals. Why not choose a job where you get to work closely with a provider? Thus, I decided to become a medical scribe!

Enjoy Your Journey as a Scribe

Being a medical scribe has been an invaluable experience that has offered me a firsthand look at the medical field. Some people will scribe for about 1-2 years before moving on to other careers or getting into graduate school. However, if you end up taking a longer gap year than you planned for, it is totally okay!

Whether you are a newly hired scribe or a lead scribe, my best advice is to enjoy your journey! I have been a scribe for almost five years, and I am amazed by how quickly time flies! To be honest, I initially was not happy about taking a longer gap year. When I started my career as a scribe, I always felt this need to rush. Initially, my goal was to get into graduate school as soon as possible. Although this is ideal for most people, I later realized that you should only apply to graduate school when you are ready.

Over the past five years, I have developed professional relationships with multiple medical providers. Some of them also became my mentors. I am entirely grateful for their mentorship. I highly encourage scribes to ask their providers questions and inquire about their path to medicine. I was amazed by the different routes everyone took.

If possible, I also encourage scribes to work with different providers (MD, DO, PA and NP). I had the opportunity to work with all types of medical providers over the years and it is an experience that I am grateful for because it is what helped me decide to apply to PA school. It is amazing to see how far I’ve come over the years. I will be attending PA school this year, and I am looking forward to moving on to the next chapter of my life. I believe a big part of my success in getting a PA school acceptance was because of the skills and knowledge I have learned as a scribe over the years. So again, enjoy your journey as a scribe because everyone has their own timeline.