Starting a medical job!

I always asked my parents to work throughout high school and well into college. My parents would say no because they said I did not need one and would not have time to work because of my busy school schedule.

In early January, my mom took me to an open house for a medical school near me and they suggested each student have medical experience. I turned to my mom and told her that I have like NO experience besides helping my grandmother occasionally. So when we got home, we talked to my dad about it and he was totally on board. So I got online and searched for jobs near me. Luckily there are 2 hospitals less than 5 minutes from my house! I began to apply online for entry level positions and jobs that do not require certifications. It was kind of difficult for me at first but I was able to find a few positions that suited my qualifications.

If you are like me and have not had a traditional job before, are full-time in college, and need to pay for classes, then there are a few things to consider:

• Part time or PRN shifts are going to be best for your school schedule. I only work weekends and occasional Fridays during the school year so I can still have plenty of time to study. Many hospitals will offer these types of shifts and are flexible with your schedule when given plenty of notice.

• Think about the type of experience you want. Do you already know what kind of professional you want to be? Great! reach out to nearby hospitals and see if there are any doctors willing to hire you in the specialty!

• Types of hospitals will give you different experiences. There are ER's, hospitals, clinics, family medicine, etc. All of these range from different levels of patient interactions, to fast paced environments, to long days with few patients. There are so many different medical settings to apply yourself to but you might not know what you like until you get there!

• Keep in mind that you might not be paid well, especially if you are part-time. Many hospitals are not going to pay assistants or interns well since you are entry level and offer little to no support. However, some jobs are more intensive than others and you will be offered greater compensation. Typically, in Texas, the range for Part-time hospitals jobs lies between $8.50 p/hr to $16 p/hr. It will all depend on the hours you are willing to work!

• Know that this experience looks AMAZING when applying to medical school! Even volunteer hours at a local clinic or doctors office is a real resume booster and makes you stand out from the crowd!

When I found a job working at a large hospital near me, I was so excited! I met with the woman in charge of the ER department and she offered to hire me on the spot. However, the hours I would have had to work was 10pm-3am and I could not do that during school. So sadly, I had to say goodbye to that position. Her and I still talk pretty often so I am grateful for that!

My search continued for a medical position that would not get in the way of my school schedule. I almost gave up and settled for a "normal" job when I stumbled across a job listing under the company, ProScribe. It was an agency that hired and trained medical scribes and sent them to nearby ER's and clinics to fill out charts for physicians. I applied immediately and was reached out to within 2 days!

The training was a week long! It was every night for 3 hours and then we had to do assignments on our own. By the end of that week, I had learned so many medical terms and anatomical references but I was still uncertain if I would make it working out in the field. So when my training started, I was so nervous. My in-person trainer at the ER was so helpful and taught me how to apply my knowledge. I had 4 training shifts in person and started to work the next week! I was so proud of myself and felt so accomplished for the hard work I was putting forth.

I worked every weekend for the rest of the school year and cultivated relationships with the physicians. I have noticed that once a doctor notices your work ethic, they will go out of their way to help you. So if you ever work under a doctor, make sure they see how great of a candidate you are for medical school. They will write you the best references ever!

I have now been working for ProScribe as a medical scribe for 4 months now and have been promoted to Trainer. I am so grateful to now be able to teach people and hopefully make a difference in their lives!

Thank you for reading and please let me know if there is anything you would like for me to expand on or talk about! :)