Medical scribes are the record creators of the healthcare field. They aid physicians by taking meticulous notes and knowing what information is important for patient care. The ability to sift through facts to find the most relevant is key to your medical scribe cover letter as well.
The goal here is to highlight the best of your abilities that match the job you seek. This application document should be seen as an enhancement to your resume, not simply a dashed-off formality. A great medical scribe cover letter is the beating heart of your application, explaining why you want the job and what makes you an excellent candidate.
In this medical scribe cover letter guide, paired with the medical scribe cover letter example, you will learn how to grab the attention of recruiters so that you get that interview. Keep reading for tips and hints on
- How to structure a cover letter and which paragraphs to include
- Getting the most out of each section (header, greeting, intro, body, and conclusion)
- What to highlight in the text of your cover letter
- Avoiding common errors when writing your medical scribe cover letter.
Best format for a medical scribe cover letter
Formatting is an important part of any medical scribe job and your medical scribe cover letter gives you a perfect opportunity to show off this ability. Before you jump into writing, you need to know what goes into your letter.
The format of a medical scribe cover letter should contain the following elements:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting (or salutation)
- The cover letter introduction
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
Resume.io is an expert resource for job seekers in all fields and at all levels of their careers. For general information on putting together a cover letter, read our comprehensive cover letter guide or check out our collection of 180+ adaptable cover letter examples and writing guides!
This medical scribe cover letter example will give you a blueprint for writing your own cover letter:
Dear Dr. Coulson,
No dedicated physician wants to be spending time making notes and filling in forms. I took the Medical Scribe Specialist program at St. John’s after my degree in Biology because I wanted to be at the front line of patient care. Although I do not have a medical degree, the past six years of freeing physicians to do their work by looking after the EHR have been the next best thing.
While learning medical record keeping at the Boston Clinic (one of the leading teaching practices for medical scribes), I covered every aspect of EMR. My knowledge of medical terminology is excellent, and I regularly score 100% on internal testing. Human physiology and anatomy fascinate me, and I regularly attend medical conferences alongside my physician colleagues. I have a thirst for knowledge that helps me in my role.
While many medical scribes move on to become physicians in their own right, I view being a medical scribe as my career calling. I type at 85 wpm and am always looking for small marginal gains in my work to make my collaborations more efficient. Last year I ran a training course for physicians on how to minimize their admin time – 122 people attended.
I am exacting in my operational standards and while I am always happy to chat with patients, I realize that my role is to be present to facilitate anything that my team needs me to do. Distraction is the enemy of any medical scribe.
I would love to have the opportunity to visit your medical facility and find out more about how you work with your medical scribes. The role was recommended to me by my former colleague Dr. Martha Highbrook – one of my medical referees.
Sincerely,
Bethany Arons
Cover letter header
The header of your medical scribe cover letter gives you the opportunity to stand out since it is your only design element, but its main function is to provide your contact information so recruiters can easily get in touch to schedule an interview.
Within your header, make sure your name and best contact information – phone and email – stand out. If you wish, you may also include your current job title or your desired title.
Blend application styles
To create a unified application package, choose resume and cover letter designs that complement each other. Stick with the same or similar fonts and color schemes. This ensures that you present a united vision impression, but also helps in case the HR department accidentally separates documents after printing them. Yes, there are still people who prefer hard copies.
Cover letter greeting
Put as much thought into the greeting of your medical scribe cover letter as you do the body. Why? Although it is only a few words, it sets the tone for your message. The medical profession as a whole is a formal one, and this tone should be reflected in your greeting.
The best greetings are personal. Go the extra mile to find out the name of the person who will receive your letter. If it is not on the job listing and you cannot find it through an internet search, call the healthcare facility and ask. Your effort will be noticed.
An additional factor is honorifics. Before you begin, make sure you know whether you are addressing a doctor or not and what honorific the HR person prefers. It is fine to ask whether the person goes by Mr., Ms., Mrs., or something else entirely.
Once you have those facts, you can’t go wrong with “Dear Dr./Mr./Ms./Mrs.” – it’s friendly yet professional.
Cover letter introduction
Think of the introduction, or first paragraph, of your medical scribe cover letter as you would your first meeting with a new doctor. You want to make a great first impression, project confidence, and explain how you will help make their job easier.
Don’t go into details here. Instead, preview the information you plan to expand upon in the middle part of your letter.
In your introduction, use strong (but not aggrandizing) descriptions of yourself and your abilities. Get the reader interested in you by describing a career highlight, the reason you became a medical scribe, or why this particular practice, clinic, or hospital attracted you. In short, why do you want to apply for this job with this employer?
Dear Dr. Coulson,
No dedicated physician wants to be spending time making notes and filling in forms. I took the Medical Scribe Specialist program at St. John’s after my degree in Biology because I wanted to be at the front line of patient care. Although I do not have a medical degree, the past six years of freeing physicians to do their work by looking after the EHR have been the next best thing.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The body of your medical scribe cover letter consumes the most space on the page (and this document should never be longer than one page). It is here that you detail the highlights of your career or your training if you are new to the field.
Consider the qualities necessary to be excellent at your job. Scribes need a passion for medicine and patient care, strong written and verbal communication, computer know-how, and the ability to work long, hard hours with a positive attitude. Incorporate some or all of these attributes into the examples and anecdotes you choose for the middle part of your letter.
Make sure you are directly addressing the needs of your prospective employer. Review the job listing, just as you did when you compiled your medical scribe resume. Then, tailor your anecdotes and career highlights to fit the requirements of the position.
Create graphic interest
After carefully crafting the content of your medical scribe cover letter, the last thing you want is to turn recruiters off with big blocks of uninviting type. We suggest choosing three or four career highlights and developing a bulleted list in the middle of your letter.
This not only breaks up the type, but it allows you to call attention to your achievements without taking up too much space.
While learning medical record keeping at the Boston Clinic (one of the leading teaching practices for medical scribes), I covered every aspect of EMR. My knowledge of medical terminology is excellent, and I regularly score 100% on internal testing. Human physiology and anatomy fascinate me, and I regularly attend medical conferences alongside my physician colleagues. I have a thirst for knowledge that helps me in my role.
While many medical scribes move on to become physicians in their own right, I view being a medical scribe as my career calling. I type at 85 wpm and am always looking for small marginal gains in my work to make my collaborations more efficient. Last year I ran a training course for physicians on how to minimize their admin time – 122 people attended.
I am exacting in my operational standards and while I am always happy to chat with patients, I realize that my role is to be present to facilitate anything that my team needs me to do. Distraction is the enemy of any medical scribe.
How to close a medical scribe cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
Before you sign off at the end of your medical scribe cover letter, you need to remind recruiters of your message and offer one last parting hook to pique their curiosity and extend an invitation for an interview.
Reiterate the reason you want the job and why you are a quality candidate. Then, consider adding a more personal touch, such as an anecdote that illustrates your ability to manage doctor expectations or keep your cool in a stressful situation.
Next, remind the recruiter of the purpose of your application letter: the interview. Politely suggest that you would love to discuss the position further at the healthcare establishment’s earliest convenience.
Finally, a word about your sign-off. Stay formal here unless you know the reader or are sure that informality is the way to go. Otherwise, end with “Sincerely” or “Best Regards,” followed by your name.
I would love to have the opportunity to visit your medical facility and find out more about how you work with your medical scribes. The role was recommended to me by my former colleague Dr. Martha Highbrook – one of my medical referees.
Sincerely,
Bethany Arons
How to avoid basic mistakes in a medical scribe application letter
- Maintain a textual flow throughout. Although it consists of several parts, your cover letter is a cohesive document, so make sure that it holds together. Use transition words and phrases to avoid jarring changes in subject matter and make reading your letter easier and more enjoyable.
- Keep the tone professional. This is a business letter, so assume the same tone that you would for a meeting with your superiors. Find the balance between impersonal and too casual by allowing your voice to come through.
- Personalize each cover letter. Recruiters are experts at parsing job applications and they know when you are blanketing the market with a generic letter. Make sure you adjust your tone, style, and the anecdotes you use to fit each individual job situation.
- Keep your stories short. With anecdotes, keep this rule in mind: if you can’t explain it in two sentences or less, it’s too long. Save the longer stories for your interview.
- Proofread! Especially in a profession where accuracy is paramount, the application you’ve sweated over could be undone by a typo. Have a trusted friend or colleague look over your letter. Using a second set of eyes never hurts. And, to avoid formatting errors, a simple, organized cover letter template can help.
Key takeaways
- Medical scribing is a detail-oriented, verbal profession. Show off those language skills in your cover letter.
- Choose a header that links your medical scribe cover letter to your resume for a polished and professional look.
- Make the most of the space you have by speaking directly to each employer and complementing your resume instead of repeating it.
- Use our medical scribe cover letter example as the basis for your own application.
If you’re looking for additional inspiration for cover letter writing, you can check out our related medical cover letter samples:
