Joseph Vadakekalam
Joseph is a Implementation Trainer who was nominated by our Director of Clinical Operations, Rachel Franck (though she would love to recommend more trainers!). Joseph has consistently received glowing feedback from hospital administration as well as scribes, so we are proud to recognize him for his achievements this year.
How long have you been working with ProScribe and what is your current role?
I’ve been working with ProScribe since June 2017. Initially, I was working with WellMed and then in December 2017 I started as a trainer and then this June I became an implementation Trainer.
How did you become a trainer?
I sort of stumbled into the trainer role. Someone needed help training at one of the clinics and someone reached out to me about that. Then this year I received an email about implementation trainer openings and I applied for that.
Why are you pursuing a career in healthcare? Future career goals?
I’m applying to medical school. I already had a lot of background experience with medicine since my dad is a physician. But the thing that really stands out as for me is the social value of doing medicine. There’s one experience in college that really stood out to me. I was volunteering in Peru and I got the chance to see a C-section and I was really impressed by the skill/expertise of the surgeon and something kind of clicked when I saw all the other people around. I realized medicine is not just about treating the patient; you’re also helping friends and family.
What’s the most valuable thing you have learned as a Scribe or Trainer?
Being exposed to different fields and all of the different aspects of healthcare. As a travel trainer, it was really cool to see how state policies have such a dramatic effect on health care. I was just in Florida and they had just passed legislation that meant a PCP could only write scripts for narcotics for 3 days until patients see a pain management specialist.
How does being a scribe differ from being a trainer?
Being a scribe is more focused on documentation of the notes and there’s a different dynamic between scribe and provider. When you’re working as a trainer, the dynamics shift. You’re still trying to scribe and fulfill your role as a scribe, but you’re also having to manage the dynamics of training someone else and making sure they understand what you’re teaching them.
How has your experience as a Trainer prepared you for your future?
Traveling has been pretty rewarding in preparing me for medical school and healthcare. As a trainer, it’s been a really good experience to work on communication skills and being in a mentorship role where you’re training someone and they’re looking to you for guidance. To that extent, I also imagine it is useful as a future healthcare provider since you’re dealing with patients.
What’s the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring Scribes or Trainers?
Hang in there. Just keep trying. If you do put in the work, you will succeed eventually. You might stumble, but you just have to persevere.
Are you considering pursuing any specialties in medicine?
Everything I’ve done has been interesting so far. I could see myself going into geriatrics because I have so much exposure to it after working with WellMed and because I also had an internship with Adult Protective Services this summer. So I’ve been able to see the elderly demographic from both social and medical standpoints.
What is the most memorable experience you’ve had as a Trainer?
I remember I was training a scribe who was initially struggling with their first training shifts. She was putting a lot of work into learning and I was putting a lot of work into training her. There was a clear moment where it all clicked for her and I realized “she’s got this” and that felt amazing.
Any additional words of wisdom for your fellow employees?
Realize that no one gets anywhere without help. The only reason I’m doing this well is that I had a great support from Alex, Matt, and Rachel. All the people that have worked with me have been very supportive.