The Scribes of Augmedix: The trailblazers behind the scenes

Medical documentation company Augmedix has been revolutionising the healthcare industry in the US, with Bangladesh serving as the backbone of its documentation operations. The scribes of Augmedix Bangladesh are at the heart of the medical documentation operations in Bangladesh, as they continue to enrich the medical industry with their accurate documentation abilities and enable doctors to focus on what they are best at, i.e. treating patients.

Augmedix Bangladesh has been handling scribe operations since 2016, and started with around 20 scribes during its first cohort. The scribes underwent a rigorous training camp in India and were taught how to scribe in the most efficient way possible.

Rahul Chowdhury, Assistant Manager - Production, was a part of the first cohort of Augmedix in Bangladesh and has been with the Silicon Valley company ever since. He is currently looking after the production team and proactively works to ensure that clinicians from the US are allocated their scribes and ensures that quality is regularly maintained across the board.

"I joined Augmedix during its first recruitment as a trainee and became a part of the first cohort in the country. Initially, we were taken to India for a nine-month long boot camp, where we were taught everything from scratch, starting from how to use our communication skills to ensure proper documentation practices to corporate grooming, as well as brushing up on our typing skills," says Rahul.

The promotion of widespread employment in Bangladesh is one of the main objectives of Augmedix, and it wants to help hundreds of young people to find fulfilling and well-paying jobs. Since the first cohort joined Augmedix Bangladesh back in 2016, there are over 80 cohorts which are currently working in Augmedix, while the company regularly hires scribes to ensure steady growth in its documentation operations. 

"Currently, Augmedix has around 500 active scribes who are working day and night to make the jobs of the US doctors easier with their accurate documentation. We have refined the training period to three months to suit the needs of the local youth with the help of our in-house training practices, without compromising overall quality." says M A Hannan, Assistant Operations Manager of Augmedix Bangladesh.

Hannan was a part of the fifth cohort of Augmedix Bangladesh. He currently looks after the day shift operations of Augmedix Bangladesh and has been with the company for over five years.

"Initially, I completed my training for six months and then started working as a scribe in 2018 for an oncologist based in Alaska. After about a year, I was promoted to a Training Specialist and worked as a classroom trainer for about 9 months. Later on, I worked as a Lead Trainer for about a year. In December 2021, I was promoted to my current position. I've enjoyed my progress at Augmedix Bangladesh so far." adds Hannan.

"Augmedix has provided me with a career pathway to becoming more, and that goes for everyone willing to work hard and be consistent with their effort in the long run," says Rahul.

The scribes of Augmedix Bangladesh assist doctors and enable them to provide better patient care. They also make sure that the patients' reports are accurate and comprehensive. The scribes become valued members of the medical staff and are considered indispensable by their doctors.

"Scribes are narrators who tell factual stories. They jot down two perspectives: one from the patients and the other from the doctor. Essentially, scribes possess the quality to know what to filter: what to document and what to leave out, as well as how to document the notes. Scribes deal with patients, including terminal patients, with various symptoms. Hence they need to be adaptable on a patient-to-patient basis. We are working with something new every day. As a result, the scribes need to be quick, accurate and succinct." Hannan says.

"Scribes essentially help doctors to save their time while treating more patients. We help doctors do their best and try to take care of the rest. Moreover, the scribes provide detailed information while documenting the notes to ensure that they cover all necessary information." says Mushfiqa Muqaddim, Production Lead of Augmedix Bangladesh.

Mushfiqa joined Augmedix as a scribe in the fourth cohort in 2017, and is the first female Production Lead in the company. She explains how her colleagues made her feel at home.

"My colleagues made sure that I felt at home away from home. When I joined Augmedix, fewer females were working the night shift. But now, roughly 50% of female employees are working the night shift. The work culture at Augmedix is amazing. Moreover, everyone is very cooperative and the age gap between senior and junior position holders is very narrow." adds Mushfiqa.

Augmedix employs people, especially fresh graduates, from all educational backgrounds. In the past two years Augmedix hired around 350 scribes, and plans to double that number in 2023. 

"We hire around the clock. The recruitment takes place around the clock and we hire for the growth of our company. We hire through job fairs, university recruitments, and online recruitments and are always on the lookout for skilled people to join our team." says Hannan.

"Job satisfaction needs to be earned in today's competitive job market. While the job of a scribe is challenging, it is equally rewarding as they essentially become an extension of the medical team. Moreover, the US doctors collectively send gifts to the scribes during the holidays and truly make them feel that they belong in the team." says Rahul.

For anyone keen to join Augmedix, but aren't quite sure about what skills they need to brush up on, one of the stars of the Augmedix team shared that: "You should focus on the English language, particularly writing, listening and attention to detail. Our job requires people to focus on the job. Typing is a core skill. We constantly deconstruct and then reconstruct people's typing techniques during the training period to ensure that they are ready to face any kind of typing challenge. Moreover, being able to work with others is an essential skill to have to thrive in today's job market." says Hannan.