Clinical scribe

A clinical scribe documents patient encounters in real time so physicians can focus on the patient rather than the keyboard. They accompany the clinician during exams, procedures, or telehealth visits, recording the history, findings, diagnoses, and orders directly into the electronic health record, then completing notes and charts to the physician's standards.

The role reduces clinicians' documentation burden and burnout, requiring fast typing, command of medical terminology, and the ability to follow fast-paced clinical conversations. Scribes work in emergency departments, clinics, and specialty practices, and the job is a common stepping stone for pre-med and pre-health students seeking exposure to medicine before further training.