Yes — but with awareness.
Benefits
2-4 minutes saved per consultation. Reduced admin burden frees time for patient interaction. Structured note format improves consistency. More time for learning activities post-clinic.
Risks for Trainees
Underdeveloped note-writing skills — if AI always writes your notes, you may not develop the ability to structure clear, medico-legally defensible documentation independently. Overreliance on AI structure — real clinical notes are not always SOAP format, and adapting to different documentation contexts requires flexibility AI scribes do not teach. Reduced clinical coding competence — SNOMED coding is a skill that AI-generated codes may satisfy technically without building your understanding. Missing learning opportunities — the cognitive process of writing notes forces clinical thinking that dictation bypasses.
Practical Recommendation
Use the scribe for most consultations — the efficiency gain is real. Manually write notes for at least 2-3 consultations per week as deliberate practice. Review AI-generated notes critically — compare them to what you would have written, note the differences. Discuss scribe use with your ES — make it part of your learning conversation, not a hidden shortcut.
WPBA Implications
COTs may assess your documentation competence. If every note your ES has seen was AI-generated, they cannot assess your documentation skill. Ensure some of your assessed consultations include your own notes.
Patient Consent
As the consulting clinician (even as a trainee), you are responsible for informing patients about AI scribe use. Develop a natural, confident notification script.
Where iatroX Fits
Scribes reclaim consultation time. iatroX helps you use that time for structured clinical learning — turning a documentation efficiency gain into a knowledge development gain.