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The differences between medical assistant externships and medical research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical assistant externship and a medical research assistant. Additionally, a medical research assistant has an average salary of $40,303, which is higher than the $35,460 average annual salary of a medical assistant externship.
The top three skills for a medical assistant externship include patients, vital signs and EKG. The most important skills for a medical research assistant are patients, patient care, and DR.
| Medical Assistant Externship | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,460 | $40,303 |
| Hourly rate | $17.05 | $19.38 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 172,671 | 125,533 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Diploma, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Medical assistant externs are medical school students who took the opportunity to get on-the-job training at a medical facility, usually a hospital. They spend a set amount of time in the facility. Medical assistant externs do job shadowing. They join their mentors, who are usually doctors or other health professionals, in their daily activities. Unlike usual on-the-job trainees, medical assistant externs do not really work on administrative activities. Instead, they are given the opportunity to truly be exposed to the actual work in a medical facility. They experience talking to patients and their families, performing basic medical tasks under the supervision of a doctor, and interpreting laboratory results with their mentors.
A medical research assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar environment. Their responsibilities include gathering and organizing samples, preparing the laboratories and other facilities, compiling and managing data, updating databases, and conducting examinations and analysis, all while adhering to the laboratory's policies and regulations. They may also liaise with clients, answering inquiries as necessary. Furthermore, it is vital to maintain an active line with researchers, coordinating with them every step of the way to ensure an efficient workflow.
Medical assistant externships and medical research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Assistant Externship | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $35,460 | $40,303 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $54,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Worcester, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Norton Rose Fulbright |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a medical assistant externship and a medical research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Assistant Externship | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Diploma, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between medical assistant externships' and medical research assistants' demographics:
| Medical Assistant Externship | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |