Medical Scribe Cover Letter Example

Here are our tips for writing an excellent medical scribe cover letter.

1. Proofread and pay attention to detail in your cover letter

Cover letters for medical scribes require strong computer literacy and record keeping. Prove to hiring managers you’re an ideal medical scribe by presenting them with a well-written and error-free cover letter.

Show that you know how to write a strong cover letter by including an introduction, body paragraphs, and an ending.

Include the hiring manager’s name, address, phone number, and email address at the top of the page before writing your cover letter’s introduction. Here’s what that should look like:

Lara Beruno
7854 W Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60629
(773)-748-5600
laraberuno@emergingcareclinic.com

Copy the up-to-date contact information in your resume header to your cover letter header. Provide your name, phone number, email address, mailing address, and LinkedIn (if you have one).

Don’t forget to write a powerful call to action (CTA) when ending your cover letter to show you’re a confident candidate. Repeat your phone number and email address, along with a polite request for hiring managers to contact you for an interview. Here’s an example:

Working for Emerging Care is an exciting prospect, and I’d love to meet you in person for an interview. You can reach me at (773-123-4567) or medicalscribe123@gmail.com. Thank you for considering my application.

After you finish writing your cover letter, edit and proofread it. If possible, ask someone you trust to help you look over your work. Proofreading your cover letter is crucial for proving you can work as a medical scribe, as even a slight error at work could lead to harmful consequences for patients and the clinic.

2. Highlight your medical scribe industry-specific skills

Providing high-quality patient care as a medical scribe requires many skills, so note your hard and soft skills when crafting your medical scribe cover letter.

Hard skills are industry specific. They are picked up on the job or at school. Show hiring managers you’re capable of doing what they need by mentioning these hard skills in your cover letter:

• General computer skills
• Electronic medical record (EMR) software (eClinicalWorks, Epic Systems)
• Typing proficiency
• Office suite software (Google Suite, Microsoft Office)
• Language skills
• Basic medical knowledge
• Patient care
• Data entry
• Clerical skills

Here is an example cover letter paragraph showing the candidate is computer literate and knows how to use EMR software:

I have a typing speed of 80 words per minute (WPM) and am well-versed in Google Suite, which my team used for creating new medical templates. I also use EMR software such as Epic to track 50+ patient records per shift with 99% records accuracy.

Soft skills are character traits that affect how you work and relate to others in social environments like the workplace. Medical scribes interact with patients and other medical staff daily, so mention soft skills that show you’re a team player and easy to work with. Here are some examples of soft skills:

• Attention to detail
• Active listening
• Good memory
• Communication skills
• Empathy
• Organization skills
• Self-motivation
• Teamwork
• People skills
• Observation
• Interpersonal skills
• Responsibility
• Professionalism

Here’s an extract from a cover letter that describes the candidate’s communication and people skills:

Being an excellent communicator requires active listening and empathy. Working in a team of 20+ staff, I follow directions very well (which change every day depending on the patient) by paying close attention to report details and staff requirements.

In this example, the candidate showcases both their language skills and soft skills:

I’m bilingual in Spanish and English, which is beneficial when providing patient care, especially to patients who cannot speak English fluently. I ensure I meet their medical needs by switching to Spanish to communicate when necessary and always doing so in an approachable and patient manner.

3. Create your cover letter using correct formatting

Cover letters for medical scribes should always follow standard cover letter formatting to show employers you can accurately follow guidelines. Follow these tips when writing your medical scribe cover letter:

Keep your cover letter to one page

One-page resumes are the standard for most jobs, and cover letters are no exception. Hiring managers have limited time and hundreds of cover letters to read, so write a one-page cover letter with the most relevant information for each job.

For example, we kept our medical scribe cover letter sample to one page but mentioned key accomplishments throughout by using hard numbers and including the scribe’s relevant education.

The number of patients you’ve worked with, the records accuracy percentage, and any specific examples of your computer literacy skills are all impressive additions to mention in your cover letter.

Use an HR-approved font and font size

The standard font size for resumes and cover letters is between 10.5 and 12 points. Smaller sizes than 10.5 are too difficult to read, while larger fonts fill white space but look unprofessional.

Select a work-appropriate font when applying to the medical industry such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Arial, or Verdana.

Use .63″ by 1″ margins and a clear header

Ensure your cover letter is consistent with your resume by making its header identical to your resume header. Matching headers should also be on your cover letter so employers know where to look for your contact details.

Next, the ideal margins for a resume are .63″ left/right and 1″ top/bottom. Use the same margins on your cover letter to keep your application documents consistent.

Adjusting the margins slightly is acceptable for your resume and cover letter, but avoid major adjustments that look sloppy, show too much white space, or make your documents hard to read.

Save your cover letter as a PDF

You should submit your resume and cover letter as PDFs. Applicant tracking systems don’t have a problem accepting PDFs, so your cover letter won’t get filtered out. A PDF also preserves the original formatting of your work.