By CarolAnn Sudia 
As a recent college graduate, I’m often asked, “What do you do?” I reply with pride, “I’m a clinical information manager.” Ordinarily, I get one of two reactions: a simple nod, where clearly the person is pretending to know what that means, or they delve deeper and ask, “OK, but what is it that you do?” And though I’ve been working as a clinical information manager (CIM™) for a little more than six months, I haven’t quite perfected my elevator pitch yet.
What I Do
In short, I transcribe doctors’ notes; they tell me what’s happening with the patient, and I enter the information into the computer. But really there’s much more to it than that. I’m responsible for obtaining clarifications, which means I have to have the wherewithal to understand that in the world of medical documentation and billing, a simple diagnosis – say congestive heart failure – isn’t going to be sufficient; there are a multitude of questions that run rapidly through my brain to ensure accurate and thorough documentation.
It isn’t often that a doctor forgets to tell me one of the layers in a diagnosis, but if he or she does, I am responsible to ask. I am also responsible for freeing up the doctor’s time by calling in consults with other medical practitioners and for checking the progress of lab and radiology results so the next step in the patient’s care can occur as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The CIM Position
The CIM position, also known as a scribe, is a multifaceted and complex position that doesn’t lend itself to a quick, three-sentence answer to the question “What do you do,” but it’s a rewarding position with a fast-paced learning environment. Even though my great Aunt Marge may never fully understand what it is that I actually do, I know that what I do makes a difference in the lives of the doctors I work with and the patients they treat – and that’s a pretty wonderful thing.
Medical School vs. Healthcare Administration
After I give the person who asked the follow-up question the lengthy speech on what it is I do, the next question is always, and without fail, “So you want to go to med school?” And to that question I can give a quick and definite answer: “No!” I can understand their confusion; I graduated top of my class with a science degree and now I work in a hospital, but the truth is, I never wanted to be a doctor, so no, medical school is not in my future.
I’m more interested in business and how I can apply what I’ve learned as a scribe to advance my career at Emergency Medical Associates or to move into hospital administration. Prior to being hired as a scribe, I had a rough time bridging the gap between science and business, but as a clinical information manager, I’m able to merge my love of science with my interest in building on my business skills in a position that allows me to constantly learn and grow.
What I’ve Learned
I’ve learned how to work quickly while maintaining the highest quality of work, and because to err is human, I’ve learned to how take criticism, grow from it, and make sure it doesn’t happen again. All of these skills will make me more marketable to any business job I apply for in the future; add to that my insider knowledge of which administrative operations frustrate and impede doctors more than help them, and I have an edge over most others applying for a hospital administration position.
Working as a scribe is an obvious choice for anyone who wants to go to medical school, but for those of us who’d rather operate Excel than operate on a human, it provides an incredible opportunity to blend the worlds of science and business and acts as a jumping point for a career in the business side of a scientific world.
CarolAnn Sudia is a Clinical Information Manager for Inpatient Medical Associates, an affiliate of Emergency Medical Associates, at Newton Medical Center, Newton, N.J. Sudia received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
