What does a clinical medical assistant do?

A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a clinical medical assistant are more likely to require skills like "cpr," "customer service," "medical assistants," and "phlebotomy." On the other hand, a job as a medical clerk requires skills like "telephone calls," "clerical support," "office equipment," and "computer system." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A medical service technician provides health care and treatments to patients under the supervision or directives of a more experienced physician. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assessing a patient's condition, administering required aid, diagnosing patients, conducting check-ups, and counseling patients. There are also instances when a medical service technician may prescribe medications, conduct inspections at facilities to ensure sanitary conditions, and coordinate with hospital staff for requesting supplies. Furthermore, it is crucial to have accurate documentation of all processes and transactions, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and standards.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, clinical medical assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patient care," "medical assistants," "patient flow," and "treatment rooms." Meanwhile, a medical service technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "infection control," "chemistry," "microbiology," and "emergency situations." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

As a medical scribe, their main responsibility is to follow a physician's daily work and do charting of patient encounters in real-time by accessing their medical electronic health record (EHR). It is their duty to make sure the patient schedules are followed, generate referral letters for physicians and manage and sort medical documents within the EHR. Medical scribes can be held as data custodians, medical assistants, and nurses to focus on patient in-take and care throughout clinic hours. In addition, they manage patient flow through the clinic and increase productivity to cater to more patients.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, clinical medical assistants are more likely to have skills like "cpr," "customer service," "medical assistants," and "phlebotomy." But a medical scribe is more likely to have skills like "excellent organizational," "physician assistants," "strong work ethic," and "emergency medicine."

When it comes to a medical internship, one of the primary duties is to attend to the patients' needs while under a more experienced physician's supervision. During this period, the medical interns must rotate in various fields of specialties or departments for exposure. Aside from learning and observing, there are also instances when medical interns are required to produce necessary reports and documentation, communicate with patients and families, and take part in more challenging cases.