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Assistant-at-surgery vs student medical assistant

The differences between assistants-at surgery and student medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assistant-at-surgery and a student medical assistant. Additionally, an assistant-at-surgery has an average salary of $81,630, which is higher than the $37,781 average annual salary of a student medical assistant.

The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for a student medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and laboratory specimens.

Assistant-at-surgery vs student medical assistant overview

Assistant-At-SurgeryStudent Medical Assistant
Yearly salary$81,630$37,781
Hourly rate$39.25$18.16
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs154,070181,396
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 30%Associate Degree, 28%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

What does an assistant-at-surgery do?

An assistant at surgery is a medical professional who assists surgeons and nurses during surgical operations and other procedures. They are responsible for setting up and maintaining the cleanliness of operating rooms, preparing and sanitizing tools and equipment, understanding the operations' course, and preparing the patients pre-surgery through interviews and assessments. During the surgery, they provide direct assistance to the surgeon by handing the correct tools, monitoring the patients' vital signs, attaching tubes, and even closing wounds. Moreover, as an assistant at surgery, it is essential to be proactive and have a clear mind presence.

What does a student medical assistant do?

It is evident that the student medical assistant does work for the administration and clinical expertise. One must know that they are known as medical analysts and devote themselves to addressing the problem of patients and medical assistants.

Assistant-at-surgery vs student medical assistant salary

Assistants-at surgery and student medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant-At-SurgeryStudent Medical Assistant
Average salary$81,630$37,781
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $215,000Between $26,000 And $53,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MA-
Highest paying stateMassachusetts-
Best paying companyPhysician Affiliate Group of New York-
Best paying industry--

Differences between assistant-at-surgery and student medical assistant education

There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and a student medical assistant in terms of educational background:

Assistant-At-SurgeryStudent Medical Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 30%Associate Degree, 28%
Most common majorMedical Assisting ServicesMedical Assisting Services
Most common college--

Assistant-at-surgery vs student medical assistant demographics

Here are the differences between assistants-at surgery' and student medical assistants' demographics:

Assistant-At-SurgeryStudent Medical Assistant
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 25.5% Female, 74.5%Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 51.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.4% Asian, 9.2% White, 50.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between assistant-at-surgery and student medical assistant duties and responsibilities

Assistant-at-surgery example responsibilities.

  • Submit requests for authorization for surgical procedures and office appointments from patients' insurance carriers.
  • Perform EKGs and phlebotomy as needed.
  • Assist doctors with procedures, patient triage/telephone triage.
  • Participate in hospital triage with medical and surgical cases.
  • Make calls to pharmacies and other medical offices to give or obtain patient information in accordance with HIPAA.
  • Perform clinical tasks such as taking and recording vitals, operating EKG machine, performing finger sticks, and patient preparation.
  • Show more

Student medical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Provide supportive counseling and utilize motivation interviewing to improve patients' ability to manage their medical diagnoses
  • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
  • Assist patients with consent forms, HIPAA questions and insurance verification to ensure accurate and timely care.
  • Used word processor and gain experience in EHR software.
  • Prepare examination rooms, take patient vitals, and update EHR.
  • Perform routine tests such as hearing tests, EKG's, vision tests, and specimen collection.
  • Show more

Assistant-at-surgery vs student medical assistant skills

Common assistant-at-surgery skills
  • Patients, 39%
  • Surgical Procedures, 7%
  • HIPAA, 4%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 4%
  • Vital Signs, 3%
Common student medical assistant skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • Laboratory Specimens, 6%
  • EKG, 5%
  • Surgical Procedures, 5%
  • Patient History, 4%

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