Scribe Spotlight: Sarah Thomson
Earlier this spring, we sat down with Colorado scribe Sarah Thomson to discuss how she became a scribe, why she enjoys her work, and what’s next for her. Sarah’s most important piece of advice for new scribes? Don’t be hard on yourself. Read the full interview below.
Cat McAlpine: Hello! Thanks for meeting with me. Why don’t you tell me your name and your title and walk me through what a day in the life looks like for you.
Sarah Thomson: Hello! I’m Sarah Thomson. I’m one of the chief scribes at the University of Colorado Hospital in the emergency department. I typically work four or five clinical shifts in the ED in a week and then I help with shift coverage along with my administrative tasks.
CM: What made you become a scribe? Why were you interested in it?
ST: My friend was a scribe and she was really enjoying it and learning a lot. She ended up going to PA school. I knew that I wanted to get good experience in applying to medical school, as well as get experience with different providers, so I applied. Scribing is really great for that specifically.
CM: Have you gotten a lot of exposure to different providers or cases?
ST: Working in the ER you get broad exposure to a bunch of different scenarios, from the normal cold to heart attacks and strokes. It’s a wide range of severity, bodily systems, and providers. It’s pretty much a different provider every shift. You learn a lot.
CM: You went into scribing wanting to work with lots of different professionals, right?
ST: Yeah, there are maybe 40 or 50 different providers that I’ve gotten to work with and that doesn’t even residents, PAs, and MPs. I’ve definitely gotten a good scope of all the different roles in the emergency department. I think that’s super helpful, especially if you’re someone who wants to go into the medical field, but aren’t entirely sure which route you want to take. It’s good exposure to help you find your way.
CM: Has scribing had an impact on your plans for the future at all, or what you want to do?
ST: I mean, I went into it thinking I wanted to go to medical school and that’s still my plan. But I think it really reinforced what I wanted to do. Being able to see the role of an attending specifically and their day-to-day life, that’s been really intriguing to me.
CM: And you lead a team of a bunch of minded people right who probably all have different end goals, but right now are all here doing the same kind of work. What’s that like, to lead a team like that?
ST: It’s definitely like a learning experience for me. I’ve grown a lot and learned how to be a leader in my own way. It has been really good and also – it’s just been really fun getting to know all of the other scribes. Being able to show them I’m there to support them and helping to answer any questions or concerns…that’s my favorite part.
CM: How long have you been at ScribeAmerica?
ST: I started as a solo scribe in the fall of 2022.
CM: You oversee a lot of people who are starting as individual scribes. What kind of advice do you typically give someone who’s starting out?
ST: What was most helpful for me was taking a lot of notes and carrying a little notebook to keep track of all the top phrases and the terminology. When you first start, that’s all super unfamiliar. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or admit when you’re confused or don’t know something. Everyone has been in the same position as you and everybody understands that it’s like learning a new language sometimes. Most of all I emphasize not being hard on yourself. It just takes lots of practice.
CM: Has ScribeAmerica been supportive of that journey for you?
ST: Yeah, some of the things that I enjoy most working with ScribeAmerica is just the opportunity to cross-train with other emergency departments. I’ve trained at St. Joseph’s Hospital as well as worked on the patient navigator side. It’s been really really nice to get exposure to different things while still being employed, under one company. We also have a very broad range of individuals with different perspectives on learning. Different titles and backgrounds, everybody is super supportive and encouraging to each other. We have a group chat and everybody’s always very willing to help. The community ScribeAmerica fosters has been great.
CM: It’s been fascinating hearing about your work, but I do want to know what you do in your free time, too. Tell me more about yourself.
ST: We have five dogs in my house currently, so it’s always chaotic. Two of them are Wolfhounds, which are a hundred pounds, and then we have a Dalmatian and another mutt, and…it’s definitely quite the party around here. But other than that, I really like to do your typical outdoor Colorado things. And I volunteer on Thursdays at the children’s hospital. I just work on the surgical floor and kind of just check in on patients. I think it’s nice to connect with the patients.
Interested in becoming a scribe? Learn more at www.scribeamerica.com/jobs