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Clinical medical assistant vs student medical assistant-externship

The differences between clinical medical assistants 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 a clinical medical assistant and a student medical assistant-externship. Additionally, a clinical medical assistant has an average salary of $37,052, which is higher than the $35,588 average annual salary of a student medical assistant-externship.

The top three skills for a clinical medical assistant include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a student medical assistant-externship are patients, vital signs, and EKG.

Clinical medical assistant vs student medical assistant-externship overview

Clinical Medical AssistantStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Yearly salary$37,052$35,588
Hourly rate$17.81$17.11
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs233,464178,362
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 27%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

What does a clinical medical assistant do?

A clinical medical assistant specializes in performing administrative and clinical tasks in a hospital or similar setting. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's information, medical history, test results, and other essential documentation, and updating patient medical records. Other tasks include reaching out to patients' families and guardians, assisting health workers with room preparation and patient care, and preparing medications and other treatments, all in adherence to a physician's directives. Furthermore, a clinical medical assistant may conduct inspections to ensure that the hospital complies with government regulations.

What does a student medical assistant-externship do?

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.

Clinical medical assistant vs student medical assistant-externship salary

Clinical medical assistants and student medical assistant-externships have different pay scales, as shown below.

Clinical Medical AssistantStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Average salary$37,052$35,588
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $46,000Between $26,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CityVancouver, WA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyBrigham and Women's Hospital-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between clinical medical assistant and student medical assistant-externship education

There are a few differences between a clinical medical assistant and a student medical assistant-externship in terms of educational background:

Clinical Medical AssistantStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 27%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorMedical Assisting ServicesMedical Assisting Services
Most common college--

Clinical medical assistant vs student medical assistant-externship demographics

Here are the differences between clinical medical assistants' and student medical assistant-externships' demographics:

Clinical Medical AssistantStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 10.8% Female, 89.2%Male, 23.8% Female, 76.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.0% 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between clinical medical assistant and student medical assistant-externship duties and responsibilities

Clinical medical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Obtain vital signs, calculate body mass indexes, administer intramuscular injections, administer venipuncture on patients using aseptic technique.
  • Treat patients and coworkers with dignity, respect and compassion.
  • Obtain EKG's and vitals along with medical history, family history, current medications and chief complaints.
  • Present data in a Powerpoint presentation in mentoring professor's classes.
  • Process super-bills for submission to CPR billing, and daily bank deposits.
  • Order new equipment and work with word, excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Show more

Student medical assistant-externship example responsibilities.

  • Perform EKG's, ear cleanings, injections, nail cultures and assist with women's yearly physicals.
  • Gain experience in performing routine patient care interventions while developing strong organizational skills while caring for patients.
  • Shadowed/Assist official personnel on performance of special procedures, patient evaluation, transporting patients, therapeutic exercises and body mechanics/functional mobility.
  • Observe various departments and operations within the hospital and clinical setting environment including surgery, radiology, urology, and emergency.
  • Review and administration of medications, allergies and other pharmacology relate items.
  • Perform CLIA wave laboratory testing.
  • Show more

Clinical medical assistant vs student medical assistant-externship skills

Common clinical medical assistant skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • Patient Care, 12%
  • Vital Signs, 10%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Medical Assistants, 4%
Common student medical assistant-externship skills
  • Patients, 35%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • EKG, 5%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Data Entry, 3%
  • Surgery, 3%

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