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The differences between assistants-at surgery and student medical assistant-externships 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-externship. Additionally, an assistant-at-surgery has an average salary of $81,630, which is higher than the $35,588 average annual salary of a student medical assistant-externship.
The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for a student medical assistant-externship are patients, vital signs, and EKG.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Student Medical Assistant-Externship | |
| Yearly salary | $81,630 | $35,588 |
| Hourly rate | $39.25 | $17.11 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 154,070 | 178,362 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Student Medical Assistant Externship is a broad term for catering students for short, reliable, and practical work experience. Once you graduate, you can get a chance to meet contacts that may be useful for your career. You can have a better chance to work in a clinic, hospital, and any medical platform after going through this kind of externship.
Assistants-at surgery and student medical assistant-externships have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Student Medical Assistant-Externship | |
| Average salary | $81,630 | $35,588 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $215,000 | Between $26,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Physician Affiliate Group of New York | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and a student medical assistant-externship in terms of educational background:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Student Medical Assistant-Externship | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between assistants-at surgery' and student medical assistant-externships' demographics:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Student Medical Assistant-Externship | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 23.8% Female, 76.2% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.4% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |